


Imagine Us in Heaven

by orphan_account



Category: ATEEZ (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alpha Bang Chan, Alpha Choi Jongho, Alpha Choi San, Alpha Jeong Yunho, Alpha Park Seonghwa, Alpha Song Mingi, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, Books, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cute, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Jeong Yunho-centric, Learning to read, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mpreg, Omega Jung Wooyoung, Omega Kim Hongjoong, Omega Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Violence, kind of, sorry no yeosang i love him tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27309688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Yunho's life is laid out for him from his birth to his death; he'll study for a good, high-paying job and later get married to someone he hardly knows, have children with said someone, and continue to work until he can retire, cold and indifferent to everything in the world. And really, though it's unspoken, everyone knows that this is simply the way it is. Life is no fairy tale, there is no "kiss, kiss, fall in love" in this world.However, the moment Yunho decides to call out to Mingi and his stray cat, all of that changes.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	Imagine Us in Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> tbh this was definitely somewhat influenced by Madeline Miller's 'The Song of Achilles' which is a masterpiece that I would highly recommend k bye

Yunho is the firstborn Alpha son of Lieutenant General Jeong, something that is both a blessing and a curse. Yunho is given the best tutors as is his younger brother, Jongho. Yunho finds he prefers to study, something that surely disappoints his father. His mother, on the other hand, is quite enthusiastic about it and is quick to sit with him for hours in the library. Jongho, much to their father’s annoyance, isn’t passionate about fighting any wars and simply enjoys physical activity. Their mother doesn’t dislike him, but she doesn’t approve of such ideas either. Yunho, when he has time, will try and play with him, and Jongho is always quick to welcome him. They form a strong bond as brothers, telling each other everything after sneaking out of their rooms to talk. 

However, there’s still an issue. And that happens to be that Lieutenant General Jeong still lacks some sort of child to bully into becoming his best soldier and later taking his place. And then, Mingi comes. 

He’s not much to look at. Mingi is tall and shy, fiddling with anything he can get his hands on. The skin around his nails bleeds constantly and Yunho’s father eventually gets someone to bandage his fingers up so he can no longer pick at them. Declared by his parents to be far too dull to become any sort of great politician or intellectual like his mother, it is decided by the adults that he’ll only ever be good at soldiering. And even then, it’s just barely.

Everyone is surprised when Mingi proves himself to be the smartest of any of the Alphas and male Betas being trained. He’s the only one who doesn’t realize it, the way he can watch a formation and pick it up at light speed or how he can pick out solutions and techniques to beat others in the blink of an eye. Mingi sees himself as a clumsy but lucky guy, though nearly everyone else can see otherwise. Mingi suffers for it because Yunho’s father is not and never has been subtle in his favoritism, but Mingi seems content enough to be alone. 

At least, that’s what Yunho thought. 

As a boy, Yunho’s always been curious about nearly everything. His mother praises him constantly for it while his father ignores it, though Yunho doesn’t mind. He likes exploring, running about through the city and looking around to see what could be hiding in the little corners. 

He does not, however, expect to find Mingi. The other boy is sitting in an alley, a cat curled up in his lap. The feline is quite dwarfed there, but Mingi’s hands are gentle. His eyes are soft and he’s murmuring something, fingers running over the cat’s fur. 

“Mingi?” Yunho says, staring at him. Mingi looks up, frightened, his eyes wide and startled. 

“Yunho-ssi?” he says. The cat leaps away from him as he gets to his feet, bowing. “How may I help you?” 

Yunho flails awkwardly. Mingi doesn’t look like he’s going to stop bowing any time soon, not unless he says something. 

“You don’t - Mingi, it’s fine if you don’t bow to me. I’m not a prince,” he says. Mingi peers up at him. His brown hair is thick and curly, falling in front of his eyes. 

“You don’t . . . want me to . . . bow? To you?” Mingi says like it’s the strangest thing he’s ever heard. Chances are, it might be. He’s probably spent years being told to speak to his superiors with honorifics and to bow to them no matter what. 

“It’s fine,” Yunho says. He tries to smile at Mingi to maybe help alleviate some of the tension in his posture. He’s still quite stiff, but the corners of his lips twitch a bit. Yunho feels himself relax a little. Ah, he’s still weak to calls of his boyhood. 

“You - was that cat yours?” Yunho says despite knowing that Mingi has no possessions. Mingi looks after the feline longingly and shakes his head. 

“No,” he says. He tries to smile and Yunho can’t help but return it. Mingi’s smile turns his eyes into crescents and reveals his slightly-crooked teeth. Yunho thinks it’s adorable. “I’m just good with cats.”

Yunho laughs. 

“Maybe you can help the cooks with their mouse problem, then,” he says. Mingi’s eyes widen. 

“Really?” he says. “You think so?” 

Yunho nods. Mingi’s eagerness reminds him of a little puppy learning to do tricks from its master. 

“Yes, actually,” he says. “I heard them complaining that all of the sugar was disappearing and the bread was always nibbled. I’m sure they’d appreciate it if you offered a solution.” 

Mingi grins at him and nods. He gets to his feet and then pulls something out of his pocket - a string of glass beads - and jingles it. The sound of the beads clacking against one another fills the air and, soon enough, the city’s stray cats are swarming the two boys. Mingi smiles and coos at them, laughing as they rub up against him. 

“Ready?” he says, picking up a few. One of the cats in his arms climbs up and curls around his shoulders while the other two sit obediently. Yunho opens his arms and Mingi juts his chin out at him, and then, just like magic, the cats are coming toward him. Together, both boys walk back toward Yunho’s house, cats trailing after them. 

After that, Yunho begins to watch the training periods. He sits quietly, a book open in his lap for whenever his father’s eyes might stray to him. Mingi notices him as he’s always had a knack for those things, but Yunho does too. And he’s amazed by how quickly Mingi picks things up, watching his father do them before mimicking them perfectly on his own. Mingi will be his father’s favorite and, let’s be honest, he probably already is. He’s obedient, the idea that he’s only some oaf already being carved into his head. 

For some reason, Yunho doesn’t want that to happen. He doesn’t want to see Mingi become just another soldier, known only for the lives he’s taken. 

Mingi helps him. He seeks Yunho out after the practice, sweat cascading over his skin. 

He points at the book. “What’s that?” he says. It’s not like, “What are you reading?” but more, “What on earth is that thing on your lap?”

“It’s - I’m reading,” Yunho says. He forces himself to keep any sort of judgmental tone from leaking into his voice, as Mingi had hardly been allowed any tutoring at all and he might not even know how to read the most basic things. 

Sure enough, the younger boy blushes and looks at his feet. He mumbles something, but Yunho fails to understand.

“Would you mind repeating that, please?” he says. Mingi shuffles his feet but he looks up at Yunho. 

“Would you please teach me to - to read?” he says. Yunho can’t help gaping at him, though he knows it was unlikely that Mingi knew in the first place. It’s just - well, to Yunho, one of the elite, it’s just so absurd that anyone wouldn’t know how to read. At least to a child, it is. Mingi reddens further and he steps back, growing nervous. He picks at his bandaged hands, eyes darting around. 

“Nuh-nevermind,” he mumbles. “It’s fine, sorry, I’m sorry-”

“Mingi, wait.” 

The younger boy looks up, his eyes wide, though he goes back to averting his gaze faster than Yunho can blink. Yunho walks over. They’re practically the same height. 

He holds his book up and offers a smile. “I’ll teach you,” he says. Mingi looks up, his brown eyes shining, then he flings himself forward and wraps his arms around Yunho. He smells of sweat and he’s quite dirty from working under the summer sun for so long, but Yunho couldn’t care less. He hugs the other boy and shuts his eyes, sighing softly through his nose. 

And so Mingi begins to learn to read while Yunho tries his best to mimic the tutoring he received. He’s thankful that Mingi is such a fast learner - he’s good at connecting the dots though he doesn’t always have the best memory. It tends to be random little things that he likes to store in his mind, though he learns to read quite quickly. Yunho ends up deciding that Mingi only remembers what he wants to, and that’s a wild range of things. He can rehearse techniques he learned just hours earlier from memory without a single mistake and Yunho’s heard him repeating his favorite stories word-for-word under his breath. Yunho is absolutely amazed by it. And, the longer he teaches Mingi, the better he can see how intelligent the other boy is and how valuable he truly is. For Mingi will be the best fighting machine ever known, smarter than everyone else on the field but still as obedient as a well-trained job. 

It terrifies Yunho, the more he gets to know him. Mingi isn’t cruel or violent; he’s sweet and dorky and he cares too much about everything. He saves a portion of his food for the alleycats and goes out of his way to help others. Jongho, Yunho’s younger brother, had once gotten lost. Just a few minutes later, Mingi returned, hand-in-hand with the little boy. Jongho had been laughing despite the remnants of tears staining his cheeks, grinning in a way that was rare for the younger of the Choi-Jeongs. Mingi had waved him goodbye and then ran off to find the Lieutenant while everyone else had watched him go, mystified by his strange attitude. He’d asked for no reward and, when offered one, he’d declined it with a frown that showed he couldn’t understand why it’d been offered. 

Mingi is also extremely durable. His attitude especially. Yunho experiences this firsthand after a scuffle with his father. 

Things had been going fine, really, and Yunho had been reading outside, waiting quietly for Mingi to join him. They tended to work beneath the sun, hidden in the shade of the gardens with a book between them. Mingi never asked to read anything, only smiling brightly and working to decipher the letters on the pages of what Yunho brought. 

“Hyung!”

Yunho looks up, though his grin turns quickly to a frown. There’s a smear of blood under Mingi’s nose, an obvious limp in his step. His right leg drags behind him but he looks like he couldn’t be happier. 

“What-”

Mingi shakes his head and, for just a moment, his eyes are pleading and desperately begging for Yunho to keep from mentioning it. Yunho, reluctantly, obliges. 

(He finds out later, from Jongho and gossip by the servants, that Mingi had read something in front of his father. His voice was quiet and soft, but Yunho’s father had been furious as he’d beat the little boy and demanded to know his teacher. Mingi had lied (yet another thing he seemed to do with ease), saying he’d figured it out on his own. Such a thing was not surprising, but Mingi easily could’ve at least lessened his punishment by blaming Yunho. It’s strange, some sort of anomaly, that he had not.) 

Slowly, time passes. Yunho, at thirteen, presents as an Alpha. Mingi does the same a few months later, much to the delight of Yunho’s and Jongho’s father. Jongho, a year after, is the second Alpha son in their family, and many other people whose names Yunho can’t be bothered to remember compliment his mother on birthing two Alpha pups. It’s strange, really, though Yunho also doesn’t pay much attention to such customs. 

However, when a young girl, an Omega around his age, is brought to their house with talk of marriage passing between the adults, Yunho clams up. The girl is pretty but they’re both quite young; Yunho’s greatest concerns are more about his studies and other activities rather than marriage and mating ceremonies. 

“You must be more attentive, Yunho,” his father says after the girl leaves. His mood has been soured, certainly, but why? “That girl will not marry you. Her mother says you are not what she seeks.” 

_ I don’t want to get married, _ Yunho wants to say, the words dancing on the tip of his tongue. He keeps quiet, though, and simply nods before going out to join Mingi in the gardens. 

That same year, his mother buys a new servant. He’s young as they are, his hair long, black, and curly, often tied in a little ponytail. He’s quiet and very nervous, even worse than Mingi. His lips are often covered in scabs from how he bites them, as are his fingers. He hardly says a word, other than a few squeaked apologies. Yunho finds out from Seonghwa that San actually fancies him, which explains why the other boy has begun to come to their house so often. Seonghwa will often tag along, though Yunho’s parents don’t like him much. He’s a peasant, poor without any money. The others, though - Jongho and San that is - like him plenty. San, someone always bursting with energy and defiance of the norm, was the first to latch onto him. Yunho and Jongho had warmed quickly to the older boy, since San had always liked all of his friends to be friends. 

However, for some reason, he keeps Mingi separate from them. Jongho runs into him and they’re friendly with each other, though neither goes out of his way to spend time with the other. Yunho doesn’t see any problems with that; he’s never really liked the thought of sharing his best friend anyway. 

However, it appears that Mingi will have to share him. Yunho’s free time is donated to teas and lunches where he meets potential brides, and they only grow more frequent as he gets older. Yunho hates it, the Omegas invited hate it, but, most of all, Mingi hates it. He’s not exactly subtle with how strongly he despises them. But, much to Yunho’s joy and amusement, it doesn’t take long before Mingi is smiling and laughing again, pulling him close and talking about whatever comes to mind. It’s nice to talk with Mingi, to hear the deepening rumble of his voice surround him. Yunho finds it to be one of his favorite times of the day. 

His friendship with Mingi is thankfully unnoticed by his parents. However, his refusal to pick a bride on the other hand, is not. 

A prostitute is brought to his room one night. It’s done when no one else is awake, when Yunho is sixteen. The young boy comes and sits quietly, undressing in front of him. Yunho is told he will not be allowed to leave until he does something. 

It feels strange. The boy’s body is warm, soft, and pliant beneath his hands and he smells sweet like vanilla with the barest hints of cinnamon. He was warm everywhere, though Yunho’s not quite sure what he expected. He’s certain he’s terribly clumsy and he makes the experience awful for the boy, though, when it’s over, he kisses him gently on the forehead before leaving. Yunho watches him drowsily, his eyelids heavy. 

Mingi is tense around him the next day. He can smell the scent of vanilla and cinnamon clinging to him from the night before, his nose twitching as his eyes constantly dodge away from Yunho’s gaze. He says he wants to go practice though they both know Mingi doesn’t need to practice for more than a few hours. But Yunho lets him go. He watches him leave, something ugly and bitter sitting in his chest, mixing with the hot flame of shame. 

Why? Well, Yunho won’t say why. It’s far too sinful for him to do so. 

(The truth is, though, that Yunho, like some awful, awful person, imagined it was Mingi with him, that instead of soft, supple, unmarred skin beneath his hands, it was darkened by the sun and dotted with scars and freckles, that instead of the high-pitched whines and gasps that filled the room, deep groans and heavy pants replaced them. And Yunho, shamefully, did not fight such images. And for that he must pay.)

Somehow, Yunho manages to hide the thoughts he has of his best friend. They fall back into their old dynamic easily, gossiping about San and Wooyoung, reading, and doing things that boys do. They ride horses out in the far fields of Aestrath, Jongho sometimes tagging along. San and Seonghwa will come but Mingi usually chooses to stay behind. Yunho knows he does it because he’s scared of what could happen; they don’t know how either of them might react to seeing one of the greatest warriors of their generation riding amongst them and acting as a boy. Mingi is also, technically, forbidden to see anyone outside of the Choi-Jeong manor, to better keep the image of a formidable, brooding soldier. Yunho thinks it’s stupid, but no one asked him. 

Well, except for Mingi. He always asks Yunho, always tries to show him things and Yunho always lets him, following behind with a lovesick smile that can’t hide anything. 

So, technically, it’s his fault that all of this happens. He’s the one who wasn't careful enough to watch himself. Mingi probably isn’t even as fucked up as Yunho is anyway. 

“Yunho, meet Lee Felix,” his mother says, gesturing to the other boy. He’s the same age as Jongho, just a month or so older, but he’s quite tiny. Yunho stares down at him while Felix looks up. He looks like a fairy, with large eyes, plump lips, a button nose, and constellations of freckles splattered across his face. 

He is nothing like Mingi. Where Mingi is bulky with muscle from being worked like a bull, Felix is small and dainty, making Yunho worry about breaking him. His waist looks like Yunho’s entire hand could cover it with his fingers hanging off and his itty-bitty hands look like they could be crushed between Yunho’s. Felix is like some sort of glass doll and Yunho half-heartedly wishes he’d come with a sign telling people to look but not touch. 

Alas, such a thing would be funny for only Yunho it seems, and they head to sit in the gardens for tea. Felix stares at his food and eats quietly, daintily, so unlike Mingi who wolfs things down as if he hasn’t eaten in days. He’d adopted the style because of how quickly every other soldier-in-training had snatched all of the food on the table. The only way to get anything to eat was to get it as fast as possible. 

Felix leaves with his father, head bowed as he walks out. Yunho bids him goodbye, just as his parents always tell him to, and expects that to be the last of it. 

And, for some time, it is. Yunho doesn’t see Felix again as he grows older, shifting and changing with the years. He grows taller until he towers over his mother and brother, even a bit taller than his own father. Jongho, much to their mother’s alarm, begins to pull away from his family, taking constant trips down to the sea to do some private business that no one bothers to ask him about. San is as tall as him and Yunho isn’t surprised in the slightest by the whispers of the townspeople that follow him, gushing about the gorgeous bachelor he’s become. Seonghwa isn’t much different, though the talk of his godly looks is also mixed in with ugly rumors of his past. Seonghwa, to his credit, doesn’t pay them any mind. Wooyoung, the pretty servant hired by Yunho’s and Jongho’s mother, only seems to grow more beautiful. The stable boys and girls whisper about him as Wooyoung frantically runs about, his features almost always twisted by the countless anxieties bestowed upon him by his childhood. But hey, at least San begins to talk to him.

Mingi, not unlike the others, also changes as he grows older. He’s very nearly Yunho’s height, long, gangly limbs long-since having been replaced by strong muscle earned from the hours spent training for a war that has yet to come. Much to Yunho’s relief, a lot of his childhood anxiety seems to have faded away. He reads whenever he can, trying to learn as much as he can in his free time. He also discovers that he’s truly quite passionate about music, though they all know such a career is something he could never pursue. 

Stars above, though, Yunho really is an idiot. He lies awake at night, sometimes alone, sometimes with the warmth of a hired help beside him, staring at the ceiling. His chest aches as he tosses and turns, trying desperately to find a way to stop the feelings that he shouldn’t be having. Alphas are not supposed to love each other in a way that isn’t platonic; what Yunho feels is wrong. Mingi will marry some pretty Omega after coming home as a decorated war hero and he’ll have lots of happy little pups to take care of and read to. And Yunho will have no part in that life. Yunho will remain his best  _ friend _ . His  _ friend. _

Yunho’s breath catches in his throat and he feels tears prick the corners of his eyes. He prays the Omega beside him remains asleep, but he puts a hand over his mouth nonetheless to try and muffle his soft whimpering. 

_ You and Mingi cannot be, _ he tells himself.  _ It is not what is written. You will die for such sins.  _

Yunho shuts his eyes as tears stream down his cheeks, releasing a shaky sigh. His chest aches terribly with the thought, but he needs to hear and understand that he and Mingi will never happen. They aren’t meant to be. Alphas do not love-

_ THWAP! _

Yunho gets out of the bed, fear filling his veins. He grabs a pair of pants and a knife from his desk as he walks over to the window and opens it. 

A rock flies over his head, and Yunho just barely manages to dodge out of the way. He glares down over the windowsill, standing upright even as the cold begins to leak into the room. 

There, Mingi stands in the middle of the snowy courtyard, a silly grin on his face and a rock in his hand. His eyes are soft and crinkled in the corners, his gaze an illusion-inducing sort of fond. 

“Hyung!” he whisper-shouts, loud enough that Yunho can hear it from his place by the window. 

“Why didn’t you try the balcony?” Yunho says. Mingi shrugs. 

“Didn’t know if I could throw that far!” he says. Yunho scoffs. They’ve both seen Mingi hurl spears much farther than from the courtyard to Yunho’s balcony. 

“What if you’d broken a window?” Yunho says. Mingi, once again, shrugs. 

“Dunno!” he says as Yunho clambers down from the window after getting dressed. Yunho huffs a laugh as he lands beside Mingi, the other Alpha lacing their fingers together and squeezing his hand. They sneak out of the courtyard and begin wandering around the nearly-silent city, giggling and talking as they go. Mingi’s eyes sparkle under the light of the stars and the moon, turning to crescents whenever he laughs. Their cloaks keep them warm from the winter chill, their breath coming out in puffs. Mingi’s hand is rough and calloused in his own, though Yunho can’t make himself care as they run through the city, giggling and laughing as they get lost in a maze of streets. 

“Let’s go get pastries,” Yunho says and Mingi nods eagerly, allowing himself to be tugged off. Yunho reaches into his pocket and pays for them, handing one of the sugary confections to Mingi. They continue holding hands as they begin to look for somewhere to sit, trying to make the most of their time together. Night has become the only time where they can truly be together, and they plan to take advantage of it as much as possible. 

[ _ Get You The Moon _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRnIks59Pjw)

“What about we go down to the beach?” Mingi says softly. Yunho shrugs and that’s all it takes before Mingi tugs him through the city, stealing glances over his shoulder at Yunho as they go. 

Eventually, they reach the beach. Some of the snow has been washed away by the water, though not much of it. They find a rock jutting out of the sand and dust it off before sitting down together. The smell of the sea is sharp as the winter wind, though Yunho finds he doesn’t mind it as he nibbles on the sweet honey-bread in his hands. 

“How’s Jongho?” Mingi says. 

Yunho shrugs. 

“Still coming to the beach in his free time and making Mother believe that he’ll never find a fitful spouse,” he says. Mingi snorts. “Nothing new. You?” 

Mingi stills beside him before he puts the pastry down. 

“Hyung,” he says quietly, “your father wants me to get married.” 

_ No. No, he can’t do that, _ Yunho thinks. But, well, Mingi is technically the property of Yunho’s father since his own parents sent him and signed some sort of agreement all those years ago. And Yunho’s father can pick and choose whether or not Mingi marries and sires pups, and it only makes sense that he’d want to have more soldiers like Mingi. 

“What are you going to do?” Yunho says. 

Mingi shrugs. 

“I don’t want to get married,” he says. “I really don’t want to get married.” He sighs sadly, turning to look out at the water. “I’m scared.” 

“It’ll be fine,” Yunho says because there really isn’t anything else he can do. If his father wants to have Mingi married to someone, it’ll happen. There’s no way out of it. 

“What if - Hyung, please, help me,” Mingi says. He turns to Yunho and grabs his hands, surprising the older boy with his sudden desperation. “I can’t - I can’t get married, please, please, please-”

“It won’t happen,” Yunho says. He grabs Mingi’s face. “I’ll talk to Father. I promise you won’t get married, all right? I swear upon the blood of the stars that it won’t, all right?” 

“You swear?” Mingi says. Yunho nods, squeezing his hands. Mingi seems to relax as he nods, then he clears his throat and looks away. Yunho lets his hands fall with an ache in his chest, turning away to stare at the sea. He sighs softly, wishing things were different.

The next day, Yunho confronts his father. 

“Excuse me, Father?” he says softly. The man looks over, arching an eyebrow. 

“What is it?” he says. When Yunho doesn’t immediately respond, he snaps his fingers, looking quite annoyed with the poor boy. “Come on, hurry up. I haven’t got all day.” 

“Don’t marry Mingi off yet,” Yunho rushes out. His father stares at him, shocked. “I just - he doesn’t - not yet.” 

The man frowns at his son. 

“And why should I listen to you?” he says. Yunho flounders for an excuse, looking around and praying that some magical-

“Excuse me, sirs,” a voice says, soft and tentative. Yunho turns to look over his shoulder and finds Wooyoung standing quietly, head bowed and his hands shaking as he holds up a small letter. 

“What is this, Doyoung?” Yunho’s father says. Yunho cringes at the misnaming, though Wooyoung simply quivers in place, the scent of his fear permeating the room. It’s like sour roses mixing with vanilla, a scent that makes both Alphas crinkle their noses. 

“It - a letter - it’s from - rebellion!” Wooyoung squeaks. Yunho’s father scowls and walks forward, snatching the small envelope from Wooyoung’s quivering hands. He opens it and frowns, clicking his tongue. He waves his hand at Yunho to dismiss him, though, for once, Yunho protests. 

“Father, you can’t marry Mingi off,” he says, crossing his arms and puffing his chest. The older Alpha looks up, the letter crinkling in his hand. Wooyoung’s eyes dart back and forth between the two males as he slowly begins to slink away. 

“You, stay here,” Yunho’s father snaps without even turning to look at the poor servant. Wooyoung stops and nods quickly, going back to bowing his head and folding his hands in front of him. Yunho thinks he sees his mouth moving and wonders if he’s praying. 

“Why, may I ask, am I not allowed to find him a bride?” Lieutenant Jeong says, frowning and arching an eyebrow. Yunho glares back at his father, his gaze just as hard. 

“Because he is my chosen companion,” Yunho says. He hears Wooyoung gasp behind him and even his father’s stony façade breaks just the tiniest bit as shock colors his features. 

“And when was this decision made?” he says after reining his expression back in. “It’s quite sudden, Yunho.” 

_ Yunho. You know my name, _ the boy thinks. He forces himself to focus. 

“He has been my companion since I taught him to read,” Yunho says. It’s a dangerous gamble but, if he plays his cards  _ just _ right, then maybe he’ll get Mingi out of this. 

“Ah,” the older Alpha says, his expression remaining blank, “so it was you who did that.” 

Yunho stares defiantly at his father, refusing to back down. The behavior is unlike him and he’s sure that he’ll be telling his mother, telling her to call some sort of doctor for their wayward son. Good children don’t disobey their parents after all. 

“Fine,” the man says, surprising both Yunho and Wooyoung. “Mingi is your companion. He will now eat with you, stay with you, and you will be responsible for him. However, I do have my conditions.” 

Yunho nods. 

“Since you were never punished for teaching a servant to read and you have very blatantly disobeyed me as well as completely forgetting to tell me about Mingi becoming your companion, you will be forced to marry. Oh, don’t be like that. I don’t mean now. I’m just going to secure your marriage with Lee Felix.”

Yunho had forgotten about him. 

“Well?” his father says as he goes to sit at his desk, grabbing a piece of parchment and getting out a quill and inkwell. 

“Thank you, Father,” Yunho says. It’s forced just as his bow is, but he knows he should be grateful; this is easliy one of the best outcomes of the situation. 

Now, he only has to tell Mingi. 

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he says. His eyes are narrowed, face twisted into a scowl. “I’m not worth that much.” 

His voice is strangely bitter and angry. Yunho’s stomach churns. 

“I - but - Mingi, it’s not that bad,” he says. “Felix is - from what I can recall of him, he’s-”

“It was stupid of you to do that,” Mingi spits. The wind ruffles his hair and plays with his cloak. “Now you’re gonna have to marry someone you don’t even know.”

“I did it for you,” Yunho snaps before he can stop himself. But isn’t it about time? He’s been hiding all of these awful feelings for so long, isn’t it only fair that he releases them? “I do all of this stupid shit for you and you just - I’m getting married, okay? And you were throwing a damned hissy fit over it and now we get to spend even more time until Felix comes but you just - you spit in my fucking face? Yeah, okay, what the fuck? Where is that coming from because I swear I can’t recall a single incident that’s warranted such behavior! Stars above, Mingi, why are you just - you utterly despise the idea of me ever being in a relationship, don’t you? What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you - are you jealous? Is that it? Is that why you hate-”

“Get out,” Mingi snarls. “You and your stupid-ass words that make me feel so damned special. Gonna use them on your bitch, are ya?” 

“What’s up with you?” Yunho demands, ignoring Mingi’s request (though it was more of an order). “Why are you acting so weird all the time? Every time I sleep with someone or have dinner or lunch or tea with someone I might marry, you always get so moody. What’s gotten into you, Mingi?” 

“Leave me alone,” Mingi says, turning around and beginning to walk off. “I don’t want to talk about this any longer. I’ll see you at dinner, Yunho.”

“Sir.”

Mingi turns around slowly. Yunho stares him down, positively seething. He doesn’t understand why Mingi always gets like this because it really feels quite unfair and Yunho hasn’t done a single thing to upset him. 

“What?” he says. 

“Sir,” Yunho says. “That’s what servants call their masters, isn’t it? Be grateful I haven’t told my father half of the shit you’ve done.” 

Mingi digs his nails into his palms and his scent sours. The cedar and leather that comfort Yunho so often are now making his nose scrunch as a scowl paints his face. 

“Fuck you,” Mingi says, pausing before tacking on a sarcastic little, “ _ sir.” _ He turns around and stalks off, just as angry as Yunho. Yunho lets him. 

Dinner is quite an awkward affair. Yunho and Mingi sit next to each other though there’s a seemingly unbreachable distance between them. Mingi eats quietly, trying to keep from wolfing everything down as he does. Yunho simply pokes at his food, not saying anything. 

“We’re very happy to finally have you sitting with us, Mingi,” Yunho’s mother says, trying to cut the tension between the two boys. Jongho looks up from his food and arches an eyebrow at Yunho. The older shakes his head as subtly as possible.  _ Not now. _

“Thank you, ma’am,” Mingi mumbles. Jongho kicks Yunho under the table and the older winces. 

_ Quit being bitchy, _ he mouths. Yunho scowls at him. Jongho jerks his head in Mingi’s direction and kicks him again. 

“Ah, yes,” Yunho says, suddenly remembering that he has to act like he and Mingi aren’t fighting. “Yes, I’m quite happy to have you with us, Mingi.” 

Mingi simply nods, remaining silent. Yunho’s father arches a suspicious eyebrow at him, narrowing his eyes a bit. Mingi doesn’t see but both of the two brothers do, and Yunho decides to take matters into his own hands by nudging Mingi and subtly pointing at his father. 

“Just act as if everything’s fine,” he whispers as he leans over him to grab one of the plates. Mingi looks over at him and doesn’t say anything, but the feeling of a hand in Yunho’s own has the Alpha startling a bit. He looks down and sees Mingi gripping his hand under the table and he gives it a reassuring squeeze when Yunho notices. When the older looks back up, Mingi offers him a soft and apologetic smile, one that he’s only used a few times before. He and Yunho have never really fought, so it’s a bit strange. All of this is, really, so Yunho’s glad that Mingi’s offering a sort of silent truce. 

Later, he walks Mingi to his room. 

“I’m sorry,” the younger says as they walk through the corridors. “I shouldn’t - it wasn’t fair of me to get mad.” 

“It’s okay,” Yunho says. “I shouldn’t have said all of those stupid things anyway, so we’re even.” 

Mingi laughs, turning to smile at him, and Yunho feels his heart flutter traitorously. He fumbles for the doorknob before finally opening the door to Mingi’s chambers, stepping aside. 

“It’s wonderful,” Mingi says. He grins at Yunho, now standing in the center of the room. He has a desk, a bed, a dresser, and a little bookshelf. It’s not nearly as furnished as Yunho’s own room, though, compared to the barracks he’s used to, this is nearly the equivalent of a castle. 

“Thank you,” he says. His voice is soft and fond and loving, Yunho’s heart continuing to flutter. He stares at Mingi and tries not to confess every awful thought he’s had and forces himself to keep from throwing himself onto his knees in front of Mingi and begging for forgiveness. 

Instead of either of those things, though, Yunho simply smiles at Mingi and bids him goodnight. He forces himself to walk down the hall to his own room then, refusing to let his thoughts wander back to the boy in the room just a few doors down from his own. 

(Nonetheless, he goes to sleep with Mingi dominating his thoughts.)

Life changes after that. First of all, he and Mingi are now seen walking around together, though the younger of the two still chooses to stay away from Yunho’s other friends. He eats dinner with them and continues to train, but he also joins Yunho for his lessons (stars above, Yunho can’t believe he still has things to learn. He would’ve thought he’d learned all there was to learn. Well, at least Mingi enjoys it.) and even has a bit of his own formal schooling, though it’s not nearly as strenuous or thorough as Yunho’s or Jongho’s. But Mingi doesn’t mind. He’s simply out of the roof because he’s in school. 

There are, of course, also the changes that come from Yunho’s upcoming wedding. He doesn’t notice them at first; he only meets Felix again in the spring, though it’s just them. Because they’re awfully traditional, both of their parents are having Yunho court Felix, though it’s not like they won’t be getting married if he doesn’t. Mingi tries to hide his feelings but, for someone so smart, he’s absolutely shit at that. Yunho still appreciates his efforts, though. 

“Stars, I can’t take it anymore,” Yunho says, falling onto the ground with a groan. Mingi laughs at him and nudges his side with his foot. 

“Is it truly that bad?” he says. “If so, then I doubt I’ll ever try courting anyone.” 

“Oh, yes, that’s a wonderful idea,” Yunho says. Mingi snorts and shakes his head. 

“Why don’t you get up now?” he says. He crouches down, holding a hand out for Yunho to take. “Would you like to go riding?” 

“Yah, that’s cheating!” Yunho yells as Mingi takes off, kicking up sand behind him. He turns and grins at the older, eyes sparkling as brightly as the waves beneath the sun. To Yunho, it seems even brighter, though he’s quite certain that he’s biased. 

“You snooze, you lose!” Mingi says as he rides off. Yunho squawks indignantly and chases after him. He will  _ not _ lose to Mingi, especially after he cheated. 

“Okay, okay, you win, you win!” Mingi says, laughter continuing to bubble out of him as Yunho tickles him. Yunho grins triumphantly as he gets up, holding a hand out to Mingi. 

“I thought you said you’d quit cheating when-whenever we did this,” he pants, his hands on his knees. Mingi snorts and hits his back, earning himself a glare from his best friend. 

“Oh, you’re just a big baby.”

“I’m older than you, dumbass,” Yunho says. Mingi huffs and crosses his arms. 

“A few months hardly counts as anything,” he says. “I can’t believe you tricked me into calling you  _ Hyung _ .”

“I miss the days you worshipped the ground I walked on,” Yunho says, standing up straight and pushing his hair back from his face. He grabs the hem of his shirt and tugs it over his head, shucking it to the side. “I’m going to go for a swim. Are you-”

“Last one to the water has his clothes used as a towel!” Mingi yells as he darts off, stripping as he goes. Yunho yells angrily at him and follows. They end up calling a tie and saying that they’ll both use each others’ shirts. 

“How are things going with Felix?” Mingi says. Yunho shrugs. 

“Same old, same old,” he says. “He doesn’t even want to talk. I’ve begun to wonder if he’s mute.” 

Mingi hums, ducking under the water. Yunho floats in the water nearby, staring up at the sky. 

“There’s a rebellion growing down south,” he says softly, praying the waves will drown his words out. Of course, in this situation, they don’t. 

“I know,” Mingi says, his voice just as soft. “Your father is thinking of when to send me out to go and fight.”

“Oh,” Yunho says because there isn’t much else he can think of. He and Mingi are both twenty now, meaning that Mingi has long-since been eligible for drafting. They’re both lucky that there haven’t yet been any instances calling for his presence. 

“What are you going to do if he does?” Yunho says. Mingi shrugs. 

“What can I?” he says. “I’m indebted to your father, technically, because he took me in, so it’s not as if I can just . . . refuse or anything. When it comes down to it, I’m an orphan who was taken in by your father as some sort of charity case for lack of a better term. And, well, I owe him, don’t I?”

_ What about me? _ Yunho wants to say, to demand.  _ What about me, Mingi? Your best friend? What am I supposed to do once you’re gone? _

He doesn’t think either of them would know the answers if the questions were released into the air. 

Talk of the rebellion spreads like wildfire throughout the city. Yunho supposes he shouldn’t be surprised; after all, just fourteen years ago, Ifan had their own very successful revolt against the old emperor, Kim Dong-Hyeok. Now, Choi Soobin and Choi Yeonjun rule peacefully, though there’s a clear tension that seems to have struck Aestrath. Some say it was passed to them once Ifan was finished with it, though Yunho isn’t quite sure what he thinks about that. He just thinks that people can get restless when they see situations better than their own. Here’s not to say his life in Aestrath, especially as the rich son of a war official, isn’t nice. It is, but Yunho also knows that there are many people barely putting food on the table, so, well, that’s a bit of a problem. 

“Do you think they’ll be making us fight?” San says. Yunho shrugs and Seonghwa shakes his head. 

“Of course not,” the oldest man says. “It’s a rebellion. You know how things are, don’t you? They’ll just go down and scare them, won’t they? You two should know, both of your fathers are in the military.”

“Yes, but neither of us are very interested in things like war tactics and battle,” San says, waving his hand dismissively. His eyes dart around before he leans in and cups his hand around his mouth to whisper, “Are either of you going to General Chang’s wedding? I heard Mother say he was just scrambling to knock his bride up before leaving.” 

“Psh, at that age?” Jongho says as he comes and sits down, smelling of the ocean. “If he can get it up that fast and that well, then kudos to him. But have you  _ seen _ that old crone?” 

“He’s only in his fifties,” Yunho says. Seonghwa’s face scrunches up in disgust while San snorts. 

“He certainly doesn’t wear it very well,” he says before bursting into laughter. The rest of them follow, laughing loudly. 

“I feel quite terrible for his poor fiancé, though,” San says, taking a sip from his cup. He watches Seonghwa carefully. “A lot of people say it’s a shame that someone as pretty as him is being tied to that bastard.” 

“Why on earth are you staring at me like that?” Seonghwa says. San holds his hands up as Seonghwa sighs and shakes his head, getting to his feet. 

“I have work,” he says. “Have fun being rich, you pricks.”

“Aw, we aren’t all bad, are we?” Yunho calls after him as leaves. Seonghwa throws the middle finger over his shoulder, sticking his tongue out. 

“Life’s been shitty for him pretty recently,” San murmurs once he’s gone. “His job is awful, pay is low, rent is high - you know, all that stuff.” 

Well, none of the three of them would know. They’ve never had to worry about eating or sleeping or where they lived or any of that. Seonghwa’s good at hiding it, and it’s hard to remember where he comes from. Even though he spent six or seven years (Yunho can never remember, embarrassingly enough) as one of the high elite in Ifan, they’ve all silently decided that such a time doesn’t count; at that age, one has nearly no concept over rich or poor, though Seonghwa definitely could see the absence of his many things after his family fled from the empire. 

Yunho sighs. 

“Don’t you have to go meet with Felix?” Jongho says then. Yunho stands up so fast he knocks his chair back as he curses loudly and runs out, the door to the pub slamming loudly behind him. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” he says as he arrives. Felix, his parents, and Yunho’s parents are all standing together, talking amongst themselves. Well, the parents are. Felix simply stands quietly, his hands folding in front of him as he stares at his feet. 

“It’s fine, really,” his mother says. “Now, why don’t you two go off for a walk in the courtyard? The flowers are quite vibrant at this time of year.” 

Yunho nods, walking over to Felix and offering his arm. The Omega takes it and he’s so very small next to him, tiny little hand resting on Yunho’s bicep while the other sits on his forearm. They begin to walk, then, quietly and without a single word passing between them.

“I truly am sorry for being late,” Yunho says as they walk, the first to break the silence. Felix shrugs. 

“It’s fine,” he says. His voice is surprisingly deep, a soft rumble that Yunho hadn’t expected. His eyes widen and he’s sure that his surprise paints itself on his face since Felix looks up and turns red, sheepishly turning to stare at his feet. 

“I’m sorry,” he says in that deep, dragging voice. “I - Father says it’s best if I stay silent.” 

“No, no, no, it’s fine!” Yunho says. “I don’t mind, no. It’s nice. It . . . it reminds me of my friend.” 

Felix hums. He doesn’t ask about the friend mentioned by Yunho, though the Alpha still contemplates whether or not he should tell him about Mingi. He decides to remain silent. 

Felix, he finds, is actually a pretty nice guy. He’s kind and funny, though they don’t often discuss much. Yunho still isn’t the most excited he’s ever been about their upcoming wedding, but he doesn’t mind that it’s Felix. He’s quite sure that it could’ve been much worse. 

“You’re excited?” Mingi says from his spot on the floor of Yunho’s bedroom. Yunho hums and shrugs, still reading. 

“Kind of,” he says. “I mean, he’s actually quite nice. Quiet but nice. Well, only when he’s in public.” He laughs to himself, remembering the shouting and loud laughter. “I suppose not everything I’d initially assumed about him was true.” 

“So you want to marry him?” Mingi says. 

Yunho hums again. 

“Well, no, not really,” he says. “We’re just friends. But, well, if there’s anyone I have to marry it’d be him I suppose. He’s nice and I know him and I don’t think I’d hate spending the rest of my life with him.” 

“Would you marry me if I was an Omega?” Mingi blurts then. Yunho feels the color rush to his cheeks as he stills, stopping mid-turn.

“What?” he chokes out. 

“Never - never mind,” Mingi says. He stands up abruptly and Yunho puts his book down, swinging his legs around so they’re hanging off of the bed. “I have to go.”

“Mingi-”

“Bye, Yunho!” he says, rushing out of the room. Yunho watches him go, disheartened by the sudden need to be somewhere. 

He sighs, lying back and shaking his head. But when he picks his book up, he finds he can’t read a single thing. His thoughts are too full of Mingi, wondering what it’d be like if he was an Omega instead. He shuts his eyes and tries to imagine Mingi in one of those elaborate gowns, giggling and chatting with the available suitors. 

Stars above, his imagination is both a blessing and a curse. 

(Let’s just say that Yunho had a pretty long dream that night.)

He is thankful that he doesn’t have much time to spend with Mingi the next day. His schedule is clogged with meetings with Felix and, now, a process to tailor his suit for him. Both for General Chang’s wedding and his own. 

They’re walking around to get back to the manor when their town is bathed in twilight, though the appearance of one of Mingi’s beloved stray cats has them running through a winding maze of alleyways and backstreets. Yunho doesn’t mind, though he does have to force his laughter down to keep from waking any of the townspeople. 

There are others, though, who do not share these thoughts. Or, well, perhaps they did, but that has not yet revealed itself and Yunho wonders-

“Isn’t that Felix?”

Mingi’s pointing at someone, or, well,  _ someones _ . Two people stand in the moonlight, unabashed in the way they kiss against a building. They’re nearly the same height, though Yunho’s not concerned about that. He’s seen that dress before. Felix wore it earlier.

“Maybe we should go,” Mingi says, grabbing his wrist. 

“No, I-”

“We need to get back home before morning, don’t you remember?” Mingi says. He tugs on Yunho’s wrist. 

“But-”

“It’s not your fault,” Mingi says, though the words come out as if it pains him to say them. “Felix is just-”

“No, it’s obvious he has an outside relationship with someone. Perhaps his father even set him up with me because of that. I don’t know. It’s just-” he frowns and squints at the other man. “Who is that?” 

He’s as tall as Felix, dark hair falling into his eyes. His skin is snowy-white and he’s rather well-muscled. Then again, if he’s as tall as Felix, he’s quite short. 

“I don’t know,” Mingi says. He chews on his lower lip, looking from Yunho to the couple in the moonlight. “I think, though, that we should leave them alone. Unless-”

“No, that’s a good idea. It’s rude of us to spy,” Yunho says, nodding. Mingi smiles a bit at him and then they walk off, headed down to the beach to watch the sunrise before either of them have to get up. 

He doesn’t say anything to Felix. Why should he? Neither of them want to get married and neither of them owe each other anything. Yunho doesn’t think he’ll mind if his husband has an outside lover. It’s plenty common. 

However, with Mingi and Yunho, something changes. Yunho can’t pinpoint it no matter how hard he tries, though he sees its effects as clear as day; the lingering touches and weighted looks that pass between the two men are impossible to ignore. Mingi’s words are more thought-out and even more guarded at times, carefully picked out for Yunho. The older is just the same - they’re both changing to fit this new, strange dynamic.

[ _ Moon Orchestral Cover _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAABfktcUCQ&list=TLPQMjcxMDIwMjBD5ZHjVbokeg&index=2)

“Mingi, the wedding’s tomorrow. I haven’t got time for this,” Yunho says. Mingi laughs at him, his eyes turning into crescent moons, his face painted silver by the light of the moon. 

“Oh, come on, Yunho,” he says, long-since having dropped the honorific. “I’ll be sent off to fight soon, don’t you want to spend as much time with me as possible?” His voice is light-hearted and teasing, but Yunho hates it.  _ Don’t go, _ he wants to beg.  _ Please don’t leave me. _

“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” he says instead, grabbing his shirt and lifting it over his head. He drops it into the sand and notices that Mingi’s already stripped, grinning playfully at him from where he stands. Yunho does the same and then chases him into the waves, laughing when his best friend squeals like a piglet from the cold and then doing the same not even a minute later. They swim and play, laughter bubbling out of them as the waves pull them in. 

“We should - hey! - we should head back,” Yunho says, looking up at the sky and noticing the golden hues beginning to rise above the waves. He turns to Mingi and sees him simply looking out at the water, his eyes sad and his expression unreadable. Yunho frowns and walks over, tugging on his arm. Mingi ignores him and begins to walk forward. 

“Mingi?” he says. He doesn’t notice the large spines that cut through the surface of the water. “Come on, let’s go home.”

He receives no answer, though he does notice how deep they’re getting. Normally, the water would keep them floating, though it seems as if they’re slowly getting deeper into the water. Yunho frowns. 

“Mingi, let’s leave,” he says, trying to break whatever trance has stolen his friend from him. Finally, it seems to work, and Mingi turns around. His eyes, though, are cloudy as he stares blankly at the other man, lips parted. 

“Yunho,” he breathes, his voice quiet and nearly drowned out beneath the sound of the waves tugging them closer. They sing to Yunho, calling him deeper, deeper, just a bit further. 

_ No, _ Yunho thinks and he supposes he says it out loud too because the word cuts sharply through the quiet. “Let’s go, Mingi.” 

Thankfully, the younger male nods and he allows Yunho to guide him out of the waters. He sits him down on a rock and pulls his own clothes on before turning to Mingi.

He doesn’t expect him to rush forward and press their lips together. Mingi’s lips taste of salt from the sea and sweat, his skin warm but still a bit dry and chapped. Yunho drops his boot and kisses him back, tugging him closer by the waist. 

However, just as he initiated it, Mingi is the one who pushes him away. He stumbles back from Yunho, his eyes wide and scared. He’s dressed, somehow, and he runs off, kicking up sand behind him. Yunho watches him go, too shocked to try to chase after him. 

He doesn’t try to seek Mingi out after that. He knows when people avoid him; even though it’s something rather foreign to him, he can still see how Mingi refuses to meet his eyes and how silently he goes to bed. When he comes back and finds his room empty, the bookshelves still fully stocked and untouched, Yunho simply sighs and shakes his head before getting ready for bed. He trusts (read: hopes) that Mingi will come and talk to him about it. In the meantime, Yunho will pretend things are normal. He has other friends, doesn’t he? And now, with General Chang’s and Hongjoong’s (the name of his fiancè) wedding coming up so soon, Yunho turns his mind away from Mingi and toward his other issues. 

(Well. Not really, but no one needs to know that, especially not Mingi himself. It’s best if everything stays quiet.)

“Do you need any help?” Yunho says, watching worriedly as Felix tries to move so his gown doesn’t get any dirty when he gets out of the carriage. The younger man looks up and smiles, embarrassed. 

“Oh, yes, please,” he says. Yunho holds his arm out and helps him down, then they begin to walk toward the large banquet hall. They greet people and make small-talk as they go, though Yunho isn’t very interested in any of it. He cranes his neck and looks around until he finds San and Jongho. He’s especially worried about San, though, since he’s quite certain that he won’t like what the Choi-Jeongs are gifting the newlyweds with. 

There’s a procession and vows are spoken, though Yunho can’t pay any attention to it. His eyes are on San who sits a few tables away from himself and Felix. San’s always been thrumming with some sort of nervous energy that refuses to allow him to sit still for too long. He has certain periods of time, though, when he can’t focus on anything other than whatever happens to be the apple of his eye, but he also has times when he can’t focus on anything for any extended period of time. He’s fiddling with his utensils now, scratching at the smooth, wooden handle of his knife with his nails and leaving little lines running down it. 

The presentation of the gifts starts normally. Families come, tugging along servants or leading groups with large chests, trying to outdo one another in front of the highest-ranking official they can get to. 

Since it’s in the order of status, Yunho’s own family comes quickly. He sees San sit up in his seat, his fiddling coming to a stop. 

“General Chang,” Yunho’s father says, bowing deeply. His gift struggles along behind him, wrists and ankles tied, head bowed. 

“Ah, Sungho,” General Chang says, sitting back with an easy smile. He gestures to the servant standing behind the other Alpha. “What is it you’ve brought to me today?” 

Yunho’s father smiles again and steps back. He gestures at Wooyoung and the Omega shuffles forward, unused to wearing such fine clothes. Yunho’s eyes dart to San, the man now gripping his chair, his knuckles a snowy white as they strain against his skin. Wooyoung doesn’t dare look at him, though it’s not as if they’re anything more than friends. Call him an asshole, but Yunho is glad that they have yet to confess to each other. San would definitely be in a lot more danger if they were; after all, he’s never had very good impulse control.

Still, Yunho watches him nervously as Wooyoung nervously shuffles forward. General Chang looks over him, his eyes beady and hungry as if he isn’t sitting next to one of the most beautiful Omegas of their time. (Here’s not to say Wooyoung isn’t beautiful. Yunho has  _ eyes _ . He can see when someone is gorgeous. He just doesn’t happen to be rich.)

“This is Wooyoung,” Yunho’s father says, gesturing to the Omega. “He’s twenty, born in November. He’s the most obedient, well-behaved servant I’ve ever had. He’s loyal to a fault and he’ll never go against you.” He pauses, a smirk overtaking his face that makes Yunho shiver. “No matter  _ what _ you request.” 

He needn’t say what he means. Wooyoung’s near-invisible shiver is enough to tell the guests what types of requests he’s fulfilled. San’s jaw tenses, a telltale sign of his anger. He’s beginning to get up from his chair when he’s interrupted.

A delicate hand reaches out, the face covered by the veil. The bride points a dainty finger at Wooyoung. 

“I want that one,” he commands, his voice light and cutting through the air of the crowd like a hot knife through butter. Wooyoung looks up, then, his eyes wide. 

General Chang turns to his husband. 

“Hongjoong-ah,” he scolds, the Omega stiffening in response, “you do know-”

“I want it,” Hongjoong snaps. He turns to face his husband. “Are you going to deny me on the day of our wedding?” 

The air crackles with tension. Yunho watches San, the tension making its home in the clenching of his jaw, the stiffness of his posture, and the whiteness of his knuckles. He watches the exchange between the newlyweds with more apprehension than anyone else, ready to spring at any moment. 

“Fine,” General Chang says, sighing heavily. He rests his cheek on his fist and waves his hand. “Go on, I suppose.” 

Hongjoong grins underneath his veil and whispers something to his husband. Then, he turns to Wooyoung and does the unthinkable.

Slowly, carefully, Hongjoong lifts his veil. Yunho, just like everyone else in the room, sucks in a breath. Dainty, pixie-like features are revealed, then. Hongjoong’s nose is sharp and curved, his jawline sharp. His lips are pink and plump, his eyes large. Long, dark lashes frame his eyes, his black hair hanging in ebony curls around his face. His skin is pale even in the warm lighting of the room, a playful smile dancing upon his face. 

“Sit next to me,” he says to his newly-acquired servant, patting the space at the table. Wooyoung shuffles toward him but someone tugs on the rope holding his ankles and he trips, yelping. 

However, before he hits the ground, two things happen. San leaps forward and catches him while Hongjoong jumps to his feet, positively seething. He bares his teeth, pretty white fangs glinting. 

“Who did that?” he demands, his voice becoming screechy and angry. San helps Wooyoung to his feet. The Omega hides behind him, twitching under all of the attention. Hongjoong commands the room, though, unfortunately, Wooyoung is also part of the spectacle. He cowers behind San, chest moving rapidly as it fights against the  constraints of his corset. Few people seem to notice it, but Yunho sees the Alpha reach behind him and squeeze Wooyoung’s hand. He doesn’t let go. 

“I asked who did that,” Hongjoong says, his voice deceivingly calm. He arches an eyebrow. “I would like to know who thought it would be funny to disrupt my wedding.” 

No one says a word, though Yunho doesn’t blame them. Hongjoong is absolutely terrifying; he’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes, fire surrounding him as he searches angrily for the culprit. 

“Sir,” Wooyoung says, his voice breaking through the answering silence only barely, “it isn’t a problem. I do not harbor any resentment.” 

Hongjoong’s lip curls in disdain. Instead of responding to his new servant, he walks around the table, stepping down. His gown, large and white and forcing everyone to part for him if the anger rolling off of him in waves doesn’t do so first, seems to dull the clothes of every guest, though Yunho guesses that’s the goal. Hongjoong, though quite short, seems to tower over his guests as he makes his way toward Wooyoung and San. They both stand above him, though Hongjoong doesn’t seem to care at all. 

“You, get him a chair and untie him. We’re not selling him, are we?” he says, gesturing to San and shooting Yunho’s father a glare. San obeys and gently guides Wooyoung to the table, stopping to grab a seat for him. General Chang watches with an expressionless face that seems to be tainted by disgust and annoyance. Hongjoong doesn’t even care. 

“Now,” he says, his voice sugary-sweet in the way a snake’s scales are pretty hues that entice its victim-to-be to reach for it, “why don’t you come forward? I assure you, the punishment you receive now will be much better than if I am forced to find you myself.”

Still, no one comes forward, and Hongjoong’s faux smile turns into a dangerous scowl. 

“Ah, I expected such,” he says. He sighs heavily, shaking his head. And then, faster than Yunho can blink, he lunges into the crowd and pulls back a female Alpha by her ear. She yelps like a kicked puppy, though Hongjoong holds tight and it’s nearly as bad as spitting on an Alpha’s feet if you insult their Omega in their house or at their wedding. 

“Now, dear, why don’t you go for a walk with my guards? I’m sure you’ll enjoy it quite a lot if you find the humiliation of others funny,” he says before letting her go. A pair of soldiers seem to materialize out of thin air and they walk the girl out. Hongjoong sighs again and shakes his head. 

“Shall we get back to the party, then?” he says charmingly. The people cheer, most likely because of how scared they are of the bride, though it seems to please Hongjoong as he walks back to his seat. 

Unfortunately, the night’s events are far from over. At least one of them won’t be nearly as much of a spectacle as its predecessor. 

As one does at weddings and most other parties where the elite are the attendees and hosts, they dance. Partners are switched when the music calls for it, and Yunho doesn’t expect much to happen. Though he isn’t Jongho, who despises parties and everything akin to them, he can’t say he enjoys being at the wedding. He dances and is polite, smiling and making small talk when it’s needed. He’d honestly be back home, talking with - oh, wait. 

_ I wish he’d talk to me, _ Yunho thinks as he chews on his lower lip, eyes lazily scanning the crowd.  _ I could explain, tell him some sort of lie that would make it seem as if there were no such . . . feelings between us. We could be friends again, couldn’t we? _

He bites back a sigh and tries to focus on the present. No, he refuses to think about Mingi right now (though he sure knows how  _ that _ always works out). He’ll find some way to enjoy this party, or so he hopes. 

However, something else catches his attention before he can follow through with that goal. Felix is dancing with someone, though that isn’t what surprises Yunho. Oh, no, it’s just - well, he supposes he can’t make assumptions about someone he hardly knows, but their mannerisms are quite friendly. 

Felix laughs at his partner, a smile gracing his lips. The man he’s dancing with is his height, though his shoulders are broader and the Alpha-ness very nearly drowns him. He’s rubbing Felix’s hip through the dress, smiling fondly. 

_ Well, I already knew that, _ he tells himself. Felix and his lover continue to dance and, thankfully, Yunho can’t find it in himself to mind. Mostly, it just makes him sad. Someone’s keeping them apart and now Felix has to marry Yunho instead of whomever he’s dancing with. Yunho simply can’t make himself feel angry about it. They’re all young, too young to marry, too young to have kids, too young to go to war - why should he be angered over such a small thing? Neither he nor Felix want to marry, right?

Yunho smiles softly at them, then turns back to his partner. He hopes they can make the most of their time together. 

Foolishly, Yunho thinks that to be the end of the night. Of course, though, he should’ve seen the pattern. 

“General Chang, General Chang!” a voice says, stopping the music as a young guard bursts through the door. Her black hair is wild and her eyes are wide, though everyone can see that she’s a messenger. The dancing stops and everyone parts for the general as he walks through the crowd. 

“What is it?” he says. 

“Rebellion,” the girl says. She stands straight and adjusts her armor. “Sincerest apologies for interrupting your wedding and congratulations, but the rebellion is beginning to head this way. If we do not take action-”

General Chang doesn’t even bother waiting for her as walks out. Hongjoong watches him go with a blank expression, one that may even convey boredom. His husband leaves and Hongjoong shakes his head. 

After they’re gone, soft chatter begins to fill the room up. People whisper to one another about whether or not they’ll be going to war, talking of weddings and funeral expenses as if they are not two vastly different events. 

(Well, not quite, though Yunho knows it’s bad luck to speak of weddings and funerals together. It’s also bad luck if the newlyweds don’t spend the first night they spend together isn’t that of their wedding.)

Hongjoong ends up dismissing all of them quite early. Wooyoung follows him around, already beginning to tend to his new owner. Yunho watches as San looks upon them longingly, and he ends up tugging his friend back. 

“We should go somewhere private,” San says quietly as they walk. “I have something to tell you.” 

Yunho frowns. San isn’t usually this serious, so it must be something urgent. They walk around until they find a small alley, one that doesn’t fail to draw thoughts of Mingi into Yunho’s head. 

“I’m going to Ifan,” San says the moment they’re sure they’re in private. Yunho gapes at him. 

“Ifan?” he says. “How?” 

San shrugs sheepishly, picking at his finely-embroidered pants. 

“I don’t know,” he says, pausing before tacking on a little, “yet.” 

Yunho pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“San-ah,” he says, slowly to keep from scaring the younger, “are you sure? You know-”

“Yes, but Yunho, it - I can’t stay here any longer. I’m-” he pauses, chewing on his lower lip as his eyes dart around nervously, “-I’m asking Wooyoung to come with me.” 

“Why?” Yunho says even though he already knows the answer. San indulges in him and shrugs anyway.

“I want to be free,” he says softly, wistfully. His eyes get that starry look, the one he wears whenever he talks about Wooyoung. “Father is sending me into the military and I - I don’t think I can go. It’s - it’ll be too much.” He picks at his fingers. “You - you know how I am.”

Yunho places his hand on San’s and offers him a smile. 

“You seem to have thought this out,” he says. San nods quickly, the corners of his lips twitching. 

“I really have!” he says excitedly and there’s no way Yunho can tell him he’ll fail now. San has struggled so much and now that he’s finally found a chance at a new life with the man he loves - well, it’d be just plain cruel to tell him he can’t have it. However . . .

“I’ll help you,” he says. He contemplates whether or not he should continue. “But I - I have - only on one condition.”

San nods again, bouncing in place. 

“You have to take Mingi with you,” he says. San stops his bouncing, though he does continue to drum his thumb rapidly against his thigh. 

“Whom?” he says, frowning. “Who is that?” 

Yunho scrambles for an answer. 

“My - he’s my friend,” he says slowly, watching San’s face. Unfortunately, the younger’s face remains confused and untainted by any other emotions. “I - he’s going to have to - to go to fight.” 

The words are heavy and bitter on his tongue. Yunho looks up at San and the younger man stares at him, blinking once, then twice. 

“Okay,” he says then. Yunho’s eyes widen with surprise and he blinks rapidly at his friend, trying to see any of the hidden meanings. He finds none. 

“W-what?” he says, stumbling over his words. San shrugs. 

“Okay,” he says again. “If you’re his friend and if you like him enough to want us to bring him to Ifan, then I trust you. You wouldn’t set us up for failure.” 

Immediately, Yunho feels a wave of relief wash over him and his shoulders loosen so much that he slumps. He covers his face in his hands and fights his tears.

“Oh, thank you so much,” he says, his voice thick. “I - thank you so much, you don’t know how much it means to me.” He releases a shaky sob as tears begin to slicken his hands. “Thank you so much, San-ah.”

A gentle hand lands on his back and San begins to rub soothing circles over his body, hushing him. 

“It’s no problem,” he says softly. “I’m happy to help you, Hyung.” 

He stays silent about this whole ordeal when it comes to speaking with Mingi. Then again, it’s not like they’ve been talking in general, so Yunho supposes there’s no reason for him to worry. 

He’s thankful, though, that he’s distracted by the issue of getting three people to Ifan. Yunho sits at his desk, candle flickering weakly beside him, as he pours over documents and tries to find some sort of loophole. He curses himself for not studying any of these stupid trade route papers before. 

“Yunho, you’re going to Mr. Kim’s party, aren’t you?” his mother says as he walks down the stairs. Yunho pauses for a moment, having forgotten. 

“Oh, well, yes, Mother,” he says. The woman hums. 

“I want you to take Jongho as well,” she says. “Felix is feeling ill, so he’ll be staying home. Try and encourage your brother to look for a spouse, will you? I’m growing worried about him. He may end up without any children.” 

Yunho is tempted to laugh. Jongho’s made it quite clear that he holds no interest in any of the available spouses. He doesn’t want to do what their parents want, though Yunho isn’t very different he supposes. 

“Yes, Mother,” he says instead of voicing his thoughts. The woman smiles at him and then Yunho walks off to get dressed. 

His mother, much to Yunho’s surprise, comes with them. Their father stays home, though Yunho couldn’t care less about what he does. He sighs, shaking his head as he turns to look out the window. The carriage bumbles along while those inside of it remain silent until they get to the party, where they all go in their separate directions. 

It is a relief when he sees San and Seonghwa enter. 

“Oh, San, Seonghwa-Hyung!” Yunho says, making his way toward the two Alphas. 

“Good evening,” Seonghwa says, bowing. Yunho laughs awkwardly, shaking his head and waving his hands. 

“Ah, there’s no need for that, is there?” he says. “We’re friends and you’re older, that feels weird.” 

“Do I have to bow?” San says. Yunho can’t stop his snort as he rolls his eyes and shakes his head. 

“Because of that, yes,” he says, “yes, you do.” San gasps before draping himself over Seonghwa, though the older shoves him off. However, San’s eyes still scan the crowd. Yunho knows that San asked Wooyoung just a few days ago and that he’d agreed, though he hadn’t explained why. Then again, it’s not like Yunho ever asked. 

“Is he here?” he says, his voice lowered to a whisper. Yunho shakes his head and chews on his lower lip. 

“Mother sent him out to go and gather water from the well,” he says. He remembers how Wooyoung had dashed away as if being chased. “One of the stable boys blamed him for spilling the other barrel.” 

“Did he?” Seonghwa says. Yunho scoffs and shakes his head. 

“Haven’t you seen how terrified he is of getting in trouble?” he asks. He shakes his head yet again. “No, Wooyoung could never do that. Not after he saw another Omega get her tongue out for gossiping,” Yunho says, shivering a bit. It’s a morbid practice, one used to employ fear tactics in making sure more low-born Omegas don’t cause any trouble. It’s certainly not the only thing Wooyoung’s seen, but they all can tell it’s the one that really pushed him into this endless pit of fiddling hands and nervous eyes. 

“Stars, I despise that,” San says. Yunho nods in agreement whwile Seonghwa scans the crowd. He adjusts the suit jacket and tugs on the collar, probably unused to the new fashions that have begun to sweep the area. Frilled collars and elaborate jackets are starting to trend, and few people like them much. Yunho doesn’t blame them.

“Where is your brother?” San says. Yunho frowns and cranes his neck. 

“Hmm, I - oh, there he is.” He points at Jongho, who’s chatting with someone. He looks as if he’s about to die from boredom. 

“He doesn’t exactly look pleased to be here,” Seonghwa notes.

“Mother made him come,” Yunho says before taking a sip of some of the punch or whatever. “You know how she is. She’s quite certain that he’ll end up alone should he continue being the way he is.” 

“How’s your father?” San says. 

“Still working with the guards,” he says, eying San to see his reaction. “Still ignoring us.” 

“Is the tall one still his favorite?” Seonghwa says. It’s how he’s always referred to Mingi. 

“You mean Mingi? Of course, when is he not?” he says and they all release bouts of forced laughter. Something about the party makes it seem like it’s the only type appropriate.

“Where’s the host?” Seonghwa says to maybe salvage their conversation. “I must see the general’s own husband throwing a party without him.” 

“Oh, he’s really not as whorish as he seems,” Yunho says, feeling a need to defend Hongjoong after what he did at his wedding. “He’s just bored. You do know that General Chang is in his fifties.” 

Seongwa hums, eying the crowd. 

“I suppose I do,” he says. “But where is Kim Hongjoong?”

San and Yunho both laugh. Yunho had forgotten that Seonghwa hadn’t been at the wedding. 

“You’ll know it when you see him, don’t worry, Hyung,” San assures the older man. Seonghwa snorts at him and shakes his head. 

“I do hope you aren’t alluding to any sort of affair I may be a part of in the future,” he says. San laughs as Yunho watches their banter. San’s and Seonghwa’s relationship has always been an interesting one. They became friends before Yunho and San did, and they’re very nearly inseparable. Yunho just thinks it’s interesting.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Seonghwa says to San. The younger man laughs and waves at them as he walks off, probably to find Wooyoung. 

“Well, I’ll be off,” Yunho says, waving at Seonghwa. Maybe it’s not the best idea to leave him alone, though Yunho trusts that Seonghwa will be able to fend for himself at this party.

Maybe he fends a little too well because San doesn’t come home with him. When Yunho asks, San mumbles something under his breath about Hongjoong. It’s enough for Yunho. Well, sometimes there are things that will happen no matter what he supposes. 

[ _ Fools _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UolKQWoWyQY)

So maybe him standing in front of Mingi, his heart aching as the younger stares at him with wide eyes, was unavoidable. His confession feels rather overdue anyway. 

“I - you - what?” Mingi says, stumbling over his words in a way he hasn’t done since he was much younger. “You - you-” The words hang between them, heavy with emotions left to their own devices for years. 

“I love you,” Yunho says. He steps forward and takes Mingi’s hands into his own. He wants to cry when Mingi doesn’t immediately pull away or flinch. “I want - Mingi, I want to be with you.”

“Yunho, we  _ can’t _ ,” Mingi says, though his eyes sparkled hopefully when he heard Yunho’s confession. Yunho panics when he begins to pull away, tightening the grip he has on his hands. 

“Mingi-”

“What if your father finds out?” Mingi says, beginning to grab at straws. Yunho wants to cry. His chest is closing up, desperation claiming his mind. 

“He won’t,” Yunho says even though he knows there’s no guarantee that such a thing is true. Mingi can clearly see that too.

“Yunho, you’ll get in trouble,” Mingi says. It hurts Yunho how he isn’t worried about himself, even though he’d face execution if they were discovered. “If - he’ll find out, he  _ will _ . It’s too - we can’t.” 

“We can,” Yunho says because there has to be a way. How can the love he feels for Mingi be so wrong? He’s not hurting anyone, is he? “We - I - a friend of mine, he’s thinking about running away to Ifan. We can - we can go too. They’ll never be able - I’ve heard that life is better there, that you can marry whom you want. One of the royal couples-”

“How would we sneak out, Yunho?” Mingi says. “Yunho, they - ever since the rebellions started, they’ve been sweeping the ports to make sure none of the soldiers - Alphas try to run. Yunho, they’ll tear you apart if they find out. You’ll lose  _ everything _ ,” he says. Yunho hates that he’s right about the ports; he’s heard his own father talking about the troops he’s been sending down to make sure everyone leaving has a valid reason. But, at the same time, he longs to scream that he’ll lose everything if he loses Mingi, something that is most certainly guaranteed should he go to fight.

“I promise you, Mingi,” Yunho says desperately, “it won’t happen, just -  _ please _ , run away-”

“I have a duty, Yunho,” Mingi says, doing that stupid thing when he switches to his so-called “soldier voice”. Yunho hates it with a burning passion. “I have to stay here, if not for me, then you.” 

“Is that really it?” Yunho says as Mingi pulls away, unable to keep the venom from leaking into his tone. “You’re - you’re refusing - it’s your duty to serve a country that doesn’t care about you? Is that it?”

Mingi stops walking and Yunho sees him wipe his eyes.

“Yunho . . .” he whispers. “You know-”

“Do I, though?” Yunho says. Dammit, he’s crying. “I’m not really sure, Mingi,” he says, “because you really haven’t - you’ve really been trying to pull away from me for a really long time. And I don’t - I can’t-”

“Do you want to know why?” Mingi says, his voice shaking the way it used to when they were kids, fear making it quiver as his breathing grows quick. “Do you really know - want to know why?”

“Why?” Yunho says, his voice far too demanding for his liking. Nonetheless, he continues to speak. “Why, Mingi, are you-”

“I love you!”

The words cut through Yunho’s own, quick and deadly. Mingi, however, doesn’t seem to notice. He sniffles and wipes his eyes, turning away. “I love you, Jeong Yunho and the thought absolutely  _ terrifies _ me and I can’t - and I lie awake at night and I wonder why the stars cursed you to make it so that some buffoon like me has fallen in love with another - another-” his voice breaks and Yunho feels his chest closing up, the words dying in his throat “-with another Alpha. And stars, Yunho, I am so damned  _ terrified _ of how I feel and I wish it wasn’t - I wish that it wasn’t that way because it’s so unfair to you that I’m giving you hope that this-”

Before he can finish, Yunho kisses him. Mingi’s lips are soft and they taste of the salt of his tears, mixed in with bits of honey from some previous meal. Yunho tilts his head for better access as Mingi returns the kiss, his hands tangling in his hair. 

And then, they hear someone. They pull away from each other as quickly as possible, praying that they won’t be discovered. 

“Who goes there?” Yunho says. “Where are you hiding?” 

“It’s - it’s me, Yunho-yah,” a voice says, deep and rumbly enough that Yunho can guess correctly that it’s Seonghwa. The older Alpha pushes himself into view and stares at them. 

“Seonghwa-Hyung?” Yunho says as he places himself between Mingi and his friend. “Wha-how much did you hear?” 

Seonghwa’s eyes dart to the ground. 

“Enough,” he says quietly. He looks up at them, then, and says, “I can help you.” 

“We don’t need your help,” Mingi says. Yunho can smell his fear trying to make itself into cold denial. “We-”

“Ifan,” Seonghwa interrupts. “I - my family immigrated here from - from there, fifteen years ago. I can - I can get you there. I - we have - I have money, scales, the currency. You just - you have to protect San and Wooyoung, okay?” he says. Oh. So San must’ve told him his plans for leaving. 

“What - why?” Mingi says, still suspicious. “Why are you helping us?”

“Because I don’t need that money and Yunho is my friend. So is San,” Seonghwa says, shifting in place. “I work for a publisher. I can get you false documents for immigration if you’d like.”

“Really?” Yunho says, probably sounding like some naïve, over-excited idiot. “You - you’d do that for us?” 

“Of course I would,” Seonghwa says, shrugging. “I can be nice, in case you haven’t noticed.” 

“How long would it take?” Mingi says. 

Seonghwa pauses, chewing on his lower lip. 

Finally, he says, “A year, tops.” He pauses, looking between them. “Do you think - can you wait that long?” 

“I’m supposed to go down south to fight the rebellion in half of that,” Mingi says, crossing his arms. “Can you get it done in that time?” Yunho is tempted to kick him in the shin for being an asshole, though he also knows that Mingi is quite scared of being outed to the world. The love they share is fragile and quite dangerous; if they were to be discovered by someone who didn’t believe in such, well . . . let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. 

“I don’t - I must confess that I don’t know,” Seonghwa says. He wrings his hands and looks up at the two of them, locking eyes. “But I swear,” he says slowly, “that I will never tell a single soul about this.” 

“How-”

“Thank you, Hyung,” Yunho says, bowing. Stars, he feels like crying, he’s so relieved and scared and happy. 

“It’s a pleasure to assist you,” Seonghwa says. He’s doing that thing when he gets nervous, when he stiffens and begins to speak formally. Yunho straightens and smiles at him, Seonghwa returning the action as he walks off. Mingi laces their fingers together as they watch Seonghwa go, squeezing his hand. 

“You love me?” he says quietly once he’s gone. Yunho looks over at him, smiling softly. 

“I do,” he says. Mingi turns to look at him, then.

“You’re - are you not scared of what could happen?” he says. 

Yunho shrugs. 

“Of course I am,” he says. “Who wouldn’t be?” 

Mingi frowns at him. “Then why-”

“I love you,” Yunho says. He squeezes Mingi’s hands. “I love you so much and it’s worth the risk. I want to be with you, Mingi, and I’m going to do whatever it takes so we can be just as happy as anyone else.” 

“And - and what if - what if we can’t do it?”

Yunho kisses him softly. 

“You needn’t worry about such things,” he says as he pulls away. “I promise, Mingi, that we’ll get through this.”

“You don’t know shit,” Mingi says. Yunho laughs and loops an arm around his shoulders, tugging him close as he begins to walk back toward the house. 

Of course, just because he and Mingi have confessed to each other, it doesn’t mean that Yunho still isn’t going to get married. He and Felix continue to meet each other, a growing distance between them. 

“I must confess,” Felix says quietly as they walk, “that I have not been honest with you about . . . well, everything, I suppose.” 

Yunho hums. 

“You are entitled to your own thoughts as I am to mine,” he says, shrugging. “I see no problem. We aren’t - well, one would not say that we are close.” 

Felix laughs. 

“How is your friend?” he says. 

“Mingi, you mean?” 

Felix nods. 

“Yes, him. The one your father likes, I believe. I ran into him the other day, actually.” He turns to look at Yunho, large eyes soft and kind but still carefully guarded. “Your bravery - both of you - is quite a marvel.” 

“I could say the same of your own,” Yunho says. Felix laughs. 

“Christopher - or Chan, I suppose either work - is the one who said it first,” he says. “He wrote me a letter and tucked it into the petals of a rose from a suitor.” 

Yunho laughs. 

“Mingi shouted it at me from across the courtyard while we were fighting,” he says. Felix snorts. 

“These Alphas aren’t any good at romance, are they?” he asks. Yunho gasps, feigning offense. 

“Stars, I can’t believe you’d say such a thing to me!” he says. Felix laughs at him. He smiles, then, his eyes crinkling. 

“I think you’re just fine,” he says. 

Yunho laughs. 

Felix is a good ally. Yunho officially introduces him to Mingi and he later meets Chan - or Chris, as Felix prefers to refer to him as. They make a meeting place to go on double dates, chatting with each other and offering updates on the fighting. Chan has a close friend tending to the horses for the soldiers and another who lives near where all of the fighting is going on, so he’s usually the one with all of the news. Yunho can feel how Mingi tenses as he soaks up as much information about the battles as he can, still preparing to be drafted even though Seonghwa works day and night on their papers. Yunho knows that Mingi, in his free time, often goes to see the older Alpha to help him. He’s glad that they’re growing close at least. 

Meanwhile, San tries constantly to wheedle information out of Seonghwa about Wooyoung and how Hongjoong treats him. Seonghwa, ever-tolerant about San and his little ticks and habits, always answers as best as he can, though he does end up confessing that he usually has to leave before he’s seen. San had looked as if he was about to burst into tears then, and Seonghwa had frantically tried to repair his mistake, trying to assure him that everything was fine. 

But his affair is worrying. Seonghwa doesn’t see Hongjoong often, though Yunho’s known him long enough to be able to guess what’s going on. Seonghwa has never - he doesn’t date people. He doesn’t court people, he’s never interested in relationships that last longer than a night. Yet his fling with Hongjoong - this affair, their tryst - has lasted well over a few weeks. A few weeks turn into a month which turns into two, and Yunho isn’t blind to the change in his friend’s behavior - after all, he’s seen plenty of emotions on Seonghwa, and love isn’t one of them, though it’s quite easy to pick out. And, stars above, just as they’d (Yunho, San, Jongho, and Mingi) had expected, he has absolutely no sense of self-preservation. Wooyoung reveals more to them when he joins their little circle of friends as he is, after all, the one ferrying the messages between Seonghwa and Hongjoong. He’d obviously pick up a few bits and pieces of gossip. 

“The thing is, though, that Hongjoong-Hyung likes him back,” he says. He groans, frustrated and annoyed. “Stars, they’re both complete  _ idiots _ , it’s insane.” 

Jongho laughs. 

“Is anyone surprised, though?” San says. “I mean, most of us - well, I guess it’s all of us - have known Seonghwa-Hyung since he was a kid. He’s  _ always _ been an idiot.” 

“That’s true,” Yunho says, nodding. Mingi is leaning his head on his shoulder, drawing idle circles on his thigh as his eyes slowly begin to droop. 

“When did you get up this morning, Hyung?” Jongho says. Mingi hums and shrugs, sighing softly and snuggling closer to Yunho. 

“He’s been having to train a lot more these days,” Yunho explains. Wooyoung moves to sit behind Mingi and begins to braid his hair. It’s not too long, though there are a few dark curls that can be used. Wooyoung’s hair is easily the longest, falling as low as his chin when it’s down. It’s usually held away from his face in a small bun or ponytail, though. 

“You should go to sleep,” he says as he brushes his fingers through. Mingi hums, closing his eyes and releasing another sigh. 

“It’s fine,” he murmurs. Wooyoung snorts and shakes his head, continuing to braid his hair. 

“I’m sure you’ll be saying that tomorrow morning at breakfast, won’t you?” he teases. Mingi laughs. 

“Fine, okay,” he says. He gets up and stretches, shaking his head and losing the braid. Yunho stands with him. 

“Well, I guess we’ll be leaving,” he says. He takes Mingi by the hand and they walk together to Yunho’s room. 

“Sleep with me,” Yunho whines when Mingi tries to go to his own bedroom. Mingi whines back but he allows the older man to drag him into his room, closing the door behind him. 

“You should lock it,” Yunho says. Mingi laughs sweetly. 

“Then they’ll  _ definitely _ know that something’s going on in here,” he says. Yunho laughs and pulls him close, resting their foreheads together. 

“Well, too bad for them because I love you and I want you to know that,” Yunho says. He leans forward, pressing his lips against Mingi’s. 

“I wonder what you mean by that,” Mingi says, laughter bubbling out of him and coming in soft, gentle sounds that still manage to make Yunho’s heart flutter. 

“Will you let me?” Yunho says, moving to press a kiss to the gentle slope of Mingi’s neck. “May I show you how much I love you?” 

“You already do,” Mingi says. He hits Yunho when he scrapes his fangs over his skin. “You dumbass, hurry up and get on with it already.”

Yunho laughs against his skin and Mingi knees him in the balls. He yelps like an injured puppy while his stupid, mean boyfriend laughs at him. 

“You, sir,” Yunho says as he sits up, “are  _ ruining _ the mood.”

Mingi laughs again, his eyes turning to crescents. His teeth are a little crooked and Yunho can’t help but stare, completely enamored by him. Stars, he’s so lucky. 

“Well, why don’t you set it?” he says. “You’re the one who suggested we do this.” 

Yunho stares at him. Mingi’s looking away now, hugging himself. He’s chewing on his lower lip while he drums his nails on his biceps, a nervous habit of his. 

_ Oh, _ Yunho thinks as he stares at the other man.  _ Oh, I’m such a douche.  _

“Hey,” he says softly, reaching out to rest a hand on Mingi’s shoulder, “we don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s-” he pauses for a moment, remembering that someone with Mingi’s career and preferences tends to struggle a lot in certain areas “-it’s your first time, isn’t it?” 

Mingi nods, his cheeks now heavily flushed as if he’s spent the past hour drinking. Yunho gently takes his hand.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, okay?” he says softly. “It really isn’t that important-”

“But I want to!” Mingi says. He looks at Yunho, a stubborn gleam in his eyes. “I - I want to. I want it to be you.” He stares at Yunho, gripping his hands firmly. “I trust you.” 

Yunho gapes at him. 

“I - uh, are you sure?” he says. Wow, how eloquent, Yunho.

Mingi nods, his expression making it clear that he’s dead set on “doing the do” if you will. 

“Should we just . . . kiss, then?” Mingi says. 

Yunho pats his thighs. 

“Come over here,” he says. “I’ll show you as we go, yeah?” 

Mingi crawls over, coming to rest on Yunho’s lap. The older leans up and presses their lips together, his hands finding home on Mingi’s hips. They kiss softly, holding onto each other. Yunho rocks his hips experimentally and Mingi gasps into the kiss, moving to wrap his legs around Yunho’s middle. 

“Take your shirt off,” Yunho says as he pulls away. Mingi nods and fumbles with the article of clothing, tugging it up and over his head. Yunho does the same, laughing when Mingi gets stuck. 

“ _ Hyung _ ,” Mingi whines, still stuck. Yunho laughs and kisses his collarbone, gently helping him out. 

“There we go,” Yunho says once he’s discarded Mingi’s shirt. He leans forward, gently pressing a kiss against the side of his neck. “That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?” 

[ _ Fire On Fire (From  _ Watership Down _ ) _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So2_AxSXak4)

Mingi nods, his fingers tangled in Yunho’s hair. His skin is dark and tan, littered with scars and a few bruises. He’s so different from Yunho, who has pale skin, unmarked except for a few tiny scars from his childhood. Mingi is clearly aware of this and he pulls his hands from Yunho’s hair, shifting so he covers himself. 

“What’s wrong?” Yunho says. Mingi shifts in place, staring at the wall. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely. 

“Why are you sorry?” Yunho says. His eyes travel down to how Mingi hugs himself. Gently, he pries his arms away and presses his ear against the other man’s chest, listening to  his heart. “You’re beautiful,” he says. He shifts around, presses his lips against the crease between Mingi’s pecs and stares up at him through his eyelashes. “It’s a part of you and I love it just as I do everything else.” 

Mingi stares at him, his eyes soft. Yunho closes his eyes and inhales deeply, the comforting scent of cedar and leather filling his nose. Shyly, Mingi moves so his arms hang off of Yunho’s shoulders, his fingers coming to play with the little hairs on the back of his neck. Yunho kisses a trail up his chest while one of his hands drags up and down the knobs of Mingi’s spine, blindly exploring the vast planes of his lover’s back. Mingi sighs, relieved, when they kiss again, closing his eyes and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Yunho bites back a laugh as Mingi swipes his tongue over his bottom lip, 

Eventually, they find themselves lying on the bed. Mingi has his back to the large, plush cushions while Yunho sits between his legs on his knees, kissing him as his hands rove over his body. Mingi’s behavior isn’t very different from his own, as Yunho’s skin soon grows accustomed to the feeling of Mingi’s hands exploring it. They’re rough and calloused, though Yunho can’t say he minds; he thinks that Mingi’s hands are perfect, no matter what scars and injuries they may hold. 

“You’re beautiful,” Yunho whispers as he stares down at his lover. Mingi’s chest is heaving, his lips swollen and spit-slicked from kissing. A healthy flush has traveled over his body, barely visible with how the moonlight bathes them both in silver. His hair is a tangled mess of curls that fan out around his face, looking like some sort of halo. Yunho’s heart pounds against his ribcage, the blood in his veins like hot magma as it rushes about. He’s sweating, he notices, though Mingi is the same, his skin glistening under the moonlight. Yunho leans down and presses their lips together, kissing him slowly, sensually, their lips moving together in a fashion that makes it seem as if they have eternities to spend together rather than a single night. 

_ But it won’t be like that, _ Yunho promises himself as he kisses down Mingi’s body, stopping between his spread legs.  _ We’ll escape and go to Ifan where we can get married without fear. _

“Yunho?” Mingi whispers, reaching down to comb his hands through the older man’s hair. Yunho looks up at him, staring into his eyes. They’re glassy, tears filling them slowly. A strike of worry flashes through him and Yunho gets up, though Mingi shakes his head as he sits up and wipes his eyes. He scoots to the edge of the bed and Yunho moves with him, ending up on his knees as he stares up at Mingi. 

“I love you,” he says, reaching up and cupping Mingi’s face. He leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. “I love you so, so much, Mingi.”

“I love you too,” Mingi says. His tears turn to diamonds, glistening brightly on his cheeks as they slide smoothly down onto his thighs and the bed. Yunho kisses him softly, his own tears pouring down his cheeks as they kiss. He plays with the hem of Mingi’s pants, the other Alpha lifting his hips from the blanket to make it easier to pull them from his legs. 

“Stars above, your thighs are a fucking  _ blessing _ ,” Yunho breathes before he can stop himself. Mingi’s cheeks turn red and he covers his face with his hands, squealing. Yunho laughs and presses kisses all over them, smiling when Mingi shyly uses his legs to nudge him closer. 

“You’re so, so  _ ethereal, _ ” Yunho says. Mingi squeaks when he sinks his teeth into the meat of his thigh, one of his legs flailing out in surprise. 

“Yunho, Yunho, I love you, I love you so much,” Mingi says. Yunho moves up to kiss him, taking his own pants off. Mingi’s skin is warm, littered with scars that Yunho more or less knows the stories to. It -  _ he’s _ so different from all of the Omegas who have lain with Yunho before. They were soft, their skin unmarked and pale. Mingi, on the other hand, is covered in constellations made of dark freckles, a few shooting stars from the scars of old injuries. Planets - bruises, really - dance in a few other places, from the one on his hip to the darkened spot on his elbow. His muscles strain against his skin when he tenses, particularly when Yunho grazes his teeth over his skin just right. Mingi is unused to these sensations, his body untouched by anyone other than himself. Yunho explores his skin with an eagerness that shows itself in the way his hands rove over Mingi, desperate to touch everything he can. He adds his own planets, purpling hickeys that are stark against Mingi’s caramel skin. 

Mingi himself is just as eager. His kisses are sloppy, the way they get whenever he’s particularly excited. He rolls his hips and gasps, voicing his pleasure in just-barely muffled moans. His kisses burn as they drag over Yunho’s skin - from his neck to his chest to even farther down. Yunho releases a groan, running his fingers through Mingi’s hair. He tosses his head back, lets his jaw hang as Mingi explores, plush lips pressing against his skin. He’s gorgeous, though such a thing isn’t a surprise - Mingi’s always managed to look effortlessly ethereal, something about him making it so Yunho can’t take his eyes off of him. He forces himself to keep his eyes from closing as he rolls his hips forward, sighing. 

“I want - I want you to - to-” Mingi stutters, sitting up with spit-slicked lips. Yunho pulls him into his lap and kisses him sloppily, running his hands over his body as he does. 

“It’s okay, princess,” he whispers, brushing his lips over Mingi’s. “Gorgeous, stars, I love you so much.” 

Mingi sighs against him, rocking back and forth in his lap. Yunho gently lifts him up and lays him on the bed, tugging him forward by the ankles. His legs dangle off of the bed while Yunho stands at the foot of it, his heart pounding and his eyes hungry. Mingi loops his arms around his neck and pulls him down, kissing him softly. 

“Go ahead,” he whispers. “I love you, Yunho,” he kisses him again, “and I trust you, okay? I’m okay, baby.” 

Yunho nods. 

“I love you,” he says again, just because he can’t tell when he’s said it too much but it always feels like he hasn’t told Mingi enough. The time they have is especially limited - even tonight, though it may feel as if it’s an eternity - and they have to make the most of it. Mingi laughs softly, leaning forward to kiss him softly. 

“I love you too,” he says, his cheeks flushed heavily. Yunho pants, pushing his hips forward. There’s something about this, about what they’re doing - some sort of unnamed, unspoken purity. Of course, nothing about sex - especially when it’s between two  _ Alphas _ \- is supposed to be pure. Yunho and Mingi have both been told that the thing they’re doing, what’s going on between them and their bodies, is an ugly, terrible thing. 

_ How can that be? _ Yunho thinks as he looks down at his lover, his heart swelling with love and passion and fondness.  _ How can such a thing be true when this is the happiest I’ve felt? When I’m with Mingi, I’m as happy as I’ll ever be. How can such a thing be  _ wrong _? _

“Don’t cry,” Mingi rasps, reaching up to touch his face. Yunho stops and stares down at him, tears sliding down his cheeks. Mingi smiles softly at him. 

“It’s okay,” he says, his voice hoarse. “Stars, it’s okay, darling, it’s okay.” 

“I love you,” Yunho sobs. “I love you so, so much, Mingi, and I’m so, so-”

“None of that, none of that,” Mingi says. He sits up, wincing a bit, and pulls Yunho even closer, pressing his face into the crook of his neck. “There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing. We are not-” his voice catches and Yunho knows, stars, he  _ knows _ how hard it’s been for Mingi too “-we are  _ not _ bad for loving each other.” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Yunho babbles, ruining the moment just like he always does. He’s certain that Mingi didn’t expect - or want, for that matter - his first time to be like this. “I should - maybe I-”

“No,” Mingi says. “No, Yunho, you’re going to - we’re doing this because fuck them. Fuck your parents, fuck the stars, fuck the teachings, fuck society - I don’t care anymore. I love you, okay? And you love me, I think, and we - and there’s nothing wrong with us. We’re people, okay? And we love each other and there’s not - it isn’t - we aren’t hurting anyone and we make each other happy, okay? So we’re - we’re gonna date. We’re gonna court each other and we’re gonna be happy despite what everyone says. We don’t - we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but we aren’t - don’t let them get to you. I love you and-” he sniffles and wipes his eyes “-and that’s okay.” 

Yunho sobs, clenching his jaw as he holds Mingi’s thighs and cries. Mingi hugs him, shushing him gently. 

“I love you,” Yunho says. It feels as if he can’t stop. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Mingi says. “I love you so, so much, Yunho, and you’re so, so sweet and perfect, it’s insane. I’m so, so lucky to have you.” 

Yunho cries as he rolls his hips forward instinctively, drawing a gasp from Mingi. The younger man coos softly and kisses him. Mingi rocks down and Yunho gently lays him on the bed, nuzzling the side of his neck. He whispers things to Mingi, though he can’t quite remember what exactly it is that he says. All he knows is that he’s here with Mingi and he’s warm and he’s soft and perfect and that he loves him more than anything in the entire world. He tells Mingi this and Mingi gasps, a moan rushing out from between his lips. Mingi’s lips are swollen and Yunho can’t not kiss them, trying to make the most of the time that slides through their fingers as easily as sand in an hourglass. 

He lies with Mingi after that, something that hasn’t happened often to him. He’s still warm, his skin soft and strangely malleable beneath Yunho’s hands. He looks at peace like this, his eyes closed and his hair hanging in front of his eyes. Mingi doesn’t look like any sort of soldier; Yunho can’t see him even hurting a fly. This young man who loves to feed the stray cats of their city, who sneaks around to read books with him, who trips over his own feet and likes bathhouses - he is far from any sort of fighting machine. He’s kind, his eyes and heart soft and easy to break. His initial defenses are useless once they’re knocked down, exposing him and all of his vulnerabilities for anyone to attack. 

Yunho sighs, closing his eyes and running his fingers through Mingi’s hair. It’s soft and curly, chestnut strands thick and smooth between his fingers. Yunho sighs again as his eyes begin to droop, his exhaustion seeping through and defeating his worry as he finally falls asleep. 

He’s woken before dawn. Mingi is rubbing his eyes, though he’s clearly the one who did it. 

“Hey,” Yunho says. Mingi grins sleepily at him. 

“Hey,” he says. He wiggles his eyebrows and, like the flirty, loveable dumbass he is, he says, “Come here often?” 

Yunho laughs quietly so as not to wake any of the house’s other residents. 

“It is my room so I’d say yes,” he says. Mingi laughs, getting up and grabbing his clothes. He looks in Yunho’s mirror and clicks his tongue at the hickeys littering his neck, shaking his head. 

“You should be glad no one looks at your thighs,” Yunho says from the bed. Mingi laughs again, pulling his pants up. 

“Sure, sure,” he says. “You fuckin’ mauled me, though.” 

Yunho laughs at him, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. 

“It isn’t my fault you’re so sexy and I felt like making sure everyone knew you were taken.” 

“Mm, in more ways than one, though only if you count last night with it,” Mingi says, winking at him. Yunho laughs. 

“Stars above, you’re awful, aren’t you?” he says. Mingi shrugs and opens the window. 

“Come and kiss me goodbye,” he says. Yunho smiles at him and walks over, not bothering to put any clothes on as he does. He leans down to press his lips to Mingi’s, pulling away with a fond smile that only grows fonder when Mingi chases after him. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be up at sunrise?” he says. Mingi shrugs. 

“It won’t matter if I’m late once, will it?” he says. Yunho laughs and shakes his head, kissing him again. 

“Father will be sure to notice - it’s best not to risk it.” 

Mingi pouts at him but he does, thankfully, swing one leg out of the window. He dives in for one last kiss, though, and Yunho laughs at him as he pulls away, walking over and leaning against the wall as he waves at his lover. Mingi blows him a kiss as he goes, waving as well. 

He meets with Felix the next day. They sit and talk, mostly about the upcoming war. It’s clear on the horizon; now, they’re just waiting to be drafted. 

“Four months,” Yunho says. Felix hums and nods. 

“Let us hope that we are allowed such a luxury,” he says. Yunho frowns. 

“What do you mean?” 

“They’re thinking of sending them out in September. Maybe October. Chris told me that General Chang is thinking about returning then.” 

“October?” Yunho says, his eyes wide. “Why, we - it’s - it’s only August. How long-”

“You should warn your friend,” Felix interrupts grimly. He drums his nails on the table and looks around to make sure no one’s listening to them. “Make sure that he’s not there the night he returns.” 

“How did you know? About the affair, that is,” Yunho says, his brow furrowed. 

“I saw him sneak into his house the other day,” Felix says. He rubs his face. “You have to be careful. All of you do - this isn’t some childish game where the loser is penalized by a loss of dessert or something.”

“We have a month, then?” Yunho says. He curses. “I don’t - shit, that’s not good.”

“You tell me. Chris has bought a boat for us, though I’m going to need a disguise.” He lifts his cup. “You’re always welcome to join us.”

“I couldn’t risk that,” Yunho says. “But - well, one of - two of them and my brother, maybe you should take them. And Mingi, if you can fit him. I’ll stay back to try and buy time.”

Felix nods. 

“What about Hongjoong-ssi and your friend?” 

“Take them too,” Yunho says. He chews on his lower lip. “When’s our wedding, speaking of which?” 

“Far too soon,” Felix says. “Hopefully, though, we can get it postponed for the fighting. We’ll make something up, won’t we?” 

Yunho nods. 

“Here’s hoping,” he says. 

He finds out later that day that Hongjoong is pregnant. 

“Well, then you’re both going with them,” he says before remembering that he hasn’t told anyone about what he and Felix discussed. 

“With whom?” Seonghwa says, frowning. The bags under his eyes are dark, purple half-moons that tell the story of countless nights without sleep, full of work and worry only. 

“Felix,” Yunho says. “He and Chan are going to travel to Ifan to escape. They’ve gotten a ship and they said we can come. I want all of you to go. Make sure Jongho goes to. And Mingi. You’ll need to convince him for me.” 

“What?” Seonghwa says. 

“Mingi. He has-”

“Are you saying you’ll stay behind?” a new voice says, one that fills Yunho with dread. He slowly turns around to face Mingi and his lover stares at him, his fists clenched by his sides. 

“Mingi-”

“You said we’d go together,” he says, his voice shaking. “Are - are you going back on that?” 

“No, no, never,” Yunho says, getting up and walking over. “I promise, I’ll get there with you. We’ll all get there together.” 

“Okay,” Mingi says, though Yunho can hear how he doesn’t believe that. Yunho doesn’t himself, though he’s still going to say it. He’s heard of people saying that the more you tell yourself something, the more likely it is to happen. Maybe it’ll work. 

(Spoiler alert: it does not.)

“He what?” Yunho says. Jongho nods. 

“Seonghwa-Hyung - you know what, it’d be best if you asked Wooyoung-Hyung. He was there and you know that Hongjoong-Hyung-”

“-Is locked up, don’t worry.” Yunho gets up, sighing. “Do you know where Wooyoung is, then?” 

“He’s hiding out with San. I saw them going out to Seonghwa-Hyung’s house to try and get the papers to finish.”

Yunho nods, hugging his brother tightly. 

“Make sure you don’t get lost or anything, okay?” he says. Jongho laughs and hugs him back, pressing his face into the crook of his neck. 

“Love you, Hyung,” he says. Yunho laughs and ruffles his hair. 

“Love you too,” he says. “I’ll tell you what I find, okay? We’re going to get out of here, don’t worry.” 

Jongho nods, though his eyes betray his thoughts; Yunho can see that he’s losing hope scarily fast. He’s not the only one; without Seonghwa or Hongjoong to help them, forging immigration papers is going to be hell. Yunho shakes his head at himself as he walks quickly, chewing on his lower lip. 

“Is San here?” he says when he reaches his friend’s house. The answering servant nods. 

“He’s in his room,” she says quietly. Yunho gets ready to go in, but she spreads her arms, shaking his head. “But - but he said not to let anyone in!” 

“Please,” Yunho begs. “It’s urgent, I must see him. It’s-”

“He has to pack,” a new voice says. Yunho feels his blood run cold. 

“Major General Choi!” he says. “I was certain-”

“My son has been drafted,” the man says coldly. He arches an eyebrow at Yunho, looking him over. “As have you, I’m sure.” 

“No, I haven’t - I wasn’t aware,” Yunho says, truthfully, his hands shaking. “I thought - I didn’t-”

“You may go see San,” San’s father says, “but you must return home as quickly as possible to pack your own bags.”

“Yes, sir,” Yunho says, his heart heavy as fear slithers around him, sinking its cold claws into his chest. He runs through the house and up the extravagant marble staircase, down the hall until he stops at San’s door. He doesn’t bother to knock, instead flinging the door open. 

“San,” he says, fear dripping from his voice. San looks over, his eyes red and puffy with tear-streaks painting his cheeks. 

“They took him,” he says weakly. “They took him away from me.” 

“San, we have to get out of here,” Yunho says. He grabs San’s hands and looks around his room, noting the open and very empty suitcase. “I’ll help you pack, okay? I promise, I’ll get him back for you, okay? We’re going to make it, just hold on.”

“Yunho, they’re going to  _ hang _ him,” San sobs. “They say - they say that - that he aided in the - the murder.” 

“He won’t, he won’t,” Yunho says even though he knows that nothing’s certain anymore. He squeezes San’s hands. “Just pack for a long trip, okay? We’re going to get out of here. You’re going to be okay, Wooyoung’s going to be okay, we’re all going to be okay. Just get ready to sneak down to the port, okay? I promise it’ll be okay.” 

San sniffles and nods, wiping his eyes. Yunho rushes out and thanks the servants he sees before barreling out of the door and down the street. Now, he has to go and find Mingi. He needs to know that Mingi’s safe. 

_ But Wooyoung, I have to help him. They’re going to execute him if I don’t _ , he thinks. Yunho knows that Wooyoung is a priority right now. Aestrath has never been kind to its murderers. Even if you’re only accused. If you don’t have a lot of money, you’re fucked. 

“Is Jung Wooyoung here?” he says as he reaches a prison. The guard arches an eyebrow at him. 

“Why would you want to see him?” she says gruffly. 

“Please, I need to see him, just once, my friend-”

“Let him through,” a voice says. Yunho looks over his shoulder and he feels a mixture of relief and surprise wash over him when he sees Felix. The other man adjusts his large skirt and scowls, lifting his chin defiantly. “I’m quite certain that my father nor his own will be happy to hear of this encounter.” 

The guard nods, mumbling apologies as she steps aside. Yunho dashes inside, running past the cells. 

“Wooyoung?” he says. “Wooyoung, where are you?” 

“Over here,” Felix says softly, gesturing to the cell before him. Yunho walks over and crouches down, reaching out through the bars. 

“Wooyoung?” he says softly. The small ball curled in the corner sniffles and doesn’t say anything. Yunho frowns and forces himself not to cry. “Hey, it’s me, Young-ah. It’s Yunho. I’m here, okay? San misses you.” 

Wooyoung remains silent and still in his corner, his head buried in his knees with his arms wrapped around his legs. His hair, long as always, hangs around his face like some sort of protective guard, making his features invisible to anyone. 

“Wooyoung-ssi?” Felix says quietly, crouching down as well. He reaches around, into a bag Yunho hadn’t yet noticed and pulls out a small bag. “Are you hungry?” 

Wooyoung slowly, warily looks up. He’s just as San was when Yunho went to see him, though his left eye is swollen and purple while his nose lets a few drops of blood flow down every once in a while. He stares at the bag that Felix holds through the bars before he gently reaches out to take it, his hands shaking. Felix smiles at him. 

“It’s just some food,” he says. “And water. And other things you might need, don’t worry about it.” He winks, then, his eyes sparkling as he gets up. He holds a hand out to Yunho after dusting himself off, looking at him while tilting his head in question. 

“We’ll get you out of here, okay, Young-ah?” Yunho says. He reaches through the bars and, thankfully, Wooyoung takes his hand. “Just hold on. I promise it’s going to be okay.”

Wooyoung nods, wiping his eyes. 

“Thank you,” he rasps. Yunho smiles at him as he gets up, squeezing his hand and whispering a soft prayer to the stars that he can succeed. 

“Leave after the sun sets, okay?” Felix says softly as they walk back. “My friends are going to come and pick you up, don’t worry. They’ll show you.”

Yunho nods. 

“Thank you so much,” he says. Felix shrugs, waving at him as they go their separate ways. 

[ _ Mr Loverman _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ouDSKtwK8)

Just then, there’s some sort of commotion. Felix stops as does Yunho and Jongho breaks through the crowd, colliding with his brother. 

“Hyung,” he says, panting, “you have to come quick. It’s - it’s -”

_ No, no, no. _ Yunho thinks, the word stuck on loop as he pushes past his younger brother and through the crowd. It seems to part for him as he runs, heart thundering against his ribcage. He slides on a bit of mud and curses as he waves his arms to steady himself, back on his feet the moment he regains his balance. He runs through the city streets, desperate tears pricking his eyes. He blinks rapidly to fight them though a few seem to escape, the wind stinging his cheeks as they run down his skin. Yunho rushes toward his house, his blood running cold at the sight of the large wagon sitting in front of it. Already, soldiers are being piled on with their few belongings, their faces solemn. 

“Mingi?” Yunho says, loudly so everyone can hear him. “Mingi, where are you? Have you seen Mingi? Do you know where Mingi is?” he says to the soldiers. They shake their heads and don’t speak, too scared to say a word to him. Yunho feels like screaming from desperation as he wipes his eyes with his sleeve and continues to search, craning his neck to see the line. Mingi isn’t there either, and Yunho feels the panic rising up in him as he continues to look for his lover. 

“Mingi!” he yells, cupping his hands around his mouth to hopefully magnify the sound. “Mingi!” 

“He’s not here,” Jongho says. Yunho turns to face his brother, his vision getting blurry as his tears fill his eyes. 

“Where, then?” he cries, shrieks. “Where is he?!”

“Hyung-”

“MINGI!” Yunho yells. His chest is closing up, fear thick and making his head spin as if he’s had too many cups of wine. “MINGI!” 

“Hyung, you’ll never find him-”

“MINGI!” Yunho shrieks again, his voice growing raw. He hugs himself and bends as a sob racks through him, hitting him like an avalanche. “Please,” he whispers, begs, because he needs to at least say goodbye, to have a chance to tell Mingi how much he loves him. 

“Yunho!” someone yells. Yunho looks up and spots Mingi rushing toward him, tears streaming down his cheeks. 

“Mingi!” he says, running toward him. He sweeps Mingi up in his arms and hugs him as tightly as possible to make it so the only way they’ll ever get Mingi is if they pry him from Yunho’s dead body. He sobs and buries his face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent of leather and cedar and letting it fill his head like a drug. 

“I love you, I love you so much,” Mingi whispers. “I’m so sorry, I was so scared.” 

“I thought you had left,” he says. “I thought I’d lost you.” 

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere, I swear,” Mingi says. “I promise, I’ll stay here. They’re not-”

“There he is!” 

Guards rush forward and Mingi is yanked from Yunho’s grasp. The older Alpha grabs for him, taking his wrists and tugging him back. 

“No,” he says firmly. Mingi holds his hands, his knuckles white and his skin sweaty against Yunho’s. He looks terrified as if he’s being taken to an execution rather than a war, though Yunho supposes that they’re roughly the same thing. 

“Let go of him, Yunho,” Lieutenant General Jeong says. Yunho looks up and levels his father with a hard glare. 

“He’s  _ mine _ ,” he says through gritted teeth. “You said that Song Mingi was  _ my _ property. Mine to decide what to do with. And I say that he will stay. He will not fight in this rebellion, no matter what your orders are. He belongs to  _ me _ .” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, boy,” the older Alpha spits. Yunho tugs Mingi forward and presses him to his chest then decides to move him behind so his own body acts as a shield. “You were a child. Such things expire.” 

“They do  _ not _ !” Yunho snaps. “Leave him. He is not your toy!”

“Guards,” Lieutenant General Jeong growls, “remove my son’s concubine and bring him to be transported, in chains if you must. As for Yunho,” he scowls, his lip curling in disgust, “you know what to do.” 

“Now, hold on a second,” a new voice says, one that Yunho never thought he’d hear. He turns to see Hongjoong, the man sitting casually on Yunho’s balcony, a sword hanging from his belt and a large hat sitting atop his head. He’s wearing a pair of baggy pants, his shirt loose. He grins. 

“What-”

“Put them down,” Hongjoong says. He climbs up to stand on the railing, holding his arms out. “You wouldn’t like to have my blood on your hands, now would you, Jeong?” 

“What? Hongjoong, what are you doing?” Yunho’s father cries. Hongjoong grins. 

“Leave your sons and Mingi alone and we can all act like this never happened,” Hongjoong says, his voice taking on a sort of sing-song quality. He lifts one foot and balances on the other, giggling a bit. 

“What? No, why?” 

Hongjoong’s playful smile turns into a scowl as he stands normally, drawing his sword. He crouches down, narrowing his eyes. 

“I’ll give you one more chance,” he says slowly as if Yunho’s father is a small child that needs explaining. “Let them go.” 

“No!” 

Hongjoong shrugs. 

“They’re your words, not mine,” he says before he leaps, his sword flashing as he lifts it above his head. Lieutenant General Jeong hasn’t a second to react as Hongjoong cuts him down, landing on top of his now-beheaded body. He gets up and dusts himself off, looking around. 

“Anyone else?” he says. The guards holding Mingi drop him and run, leaving the four men to themselves. Hongjoong sighs and cleans his sword, shaking his head as he slides it back into his sheath. He looks up and grins at them. 

“Well, come on, then,” he says. He holds his hand out to them. “Shall we?” 

They all look at each other. And then, Mingi grins and takes it. 

“We shall.” 

They find themselves standing on a ship a few hours later. Yunho clutches Mingi’s hand as he looks out at the Turwe, unable to stop grinning. Hongjoong rushes to stand at the prow, a proud smile on his face. He draws his sword. 

“To Ifan!” he shouts, his voice booming as the ship slowly pulls away from the port. A large wave pushes them forward while a powerful gust of wind propels them away from Aestrath, and Yunho raises his fist as he echoes Hongjoong’s call with the rest of the crew. 

“To Ifan!” 

**Author's Note:**

> love u and thanks for reading! comments and kudos much appreciated!


End file.
